Just Another Phantom Zoner
by jadedbluerose
Summary: A year has passed since Danny Fenton first came to Smallville, bringing new and strange mysteries to Clark Kent. But with escapees from the Phantom Zone causing havoc and fate closing around them, can Clark and Danny survive long enough to endure the coming storm? (Sequel to Just Another Meteor Freak)
1. Prologue

Just Another Phantom Zoner

Prologue

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

_Sequel to _Just Another Meteor Freak_. If you haven't read that... I'll try to break this story in gently but you may like to peruse it anyway._

Danny Fenton frowned, eyes creasing in confusion as his bare feet met cold stone floor, plodding hesitatingly across the darkened room. He paused, standing in front of a full length mirror that consumed the space in front of him. Bewildered eyes stared blankly, trying to make sense of the misted shapes that flitted across the glass before him. He cocked his head to the side in uncertainty as the dark shadows lighting the centre of the mirror began to take shape.

Before him was a young man, and it took far too long for Danny to place the familiar bone structure as his own. But the man in the mirror didn't look like him, not any version of himself that he'd ever known. He was strong and confident, shoulders set back regally beneath a rolling white cloak. Black tipped white hair was drawn back into a loose ponytail, the dark tips flickering in an ethereal wind. Atop the man's head was a silver crown, dancing with ghostly light and bright blue flames. But the most striking thing was the eyes, _his _eyes. Bright silver light flickered with specks of blue and green that looked haunted beneath the underlying façade of strength.

The figure in the mirror smiled at him, a soft and encouraging show of white teeth as the man seemed to nod in acknowledgement. Danny creased his eyebrows in puzzlement as the figure continued to smile, looking at him wordlessly from the world beyond the looking glass. Danny licked his lips, opening his mouth as though to ask a question when he stilled, breathlessly watching as a second figure stepped forwards out of the misty depths of the mirror world to resolve itself in the glass.

A smiling Chloe Sullivan grinned at him from the glass surface, coming to stand just behind the Phantom in the mirror. A strange shine lit her bright green eyes, and her blonde hair seemed to shift gently in a nonexistent wind. She was beautiful, and Danny felt something deep in his chest flutter at the sight of her sunlit smile. She was carrying a couple of books; her arms wrapped firmly around archaic looking leather bound pages. Chloe bit her lip, a cheeky smile flitting into her eyes as she shifted the books to one arm and placed her right hand on Phantom's shoulder.

Danny blinked, his eyes moving from the mirror at the strangely solid feeling of fingers on his own shoulder. He turned his hand to see a black gloved hand, gently laying delicate fingers on his shoulder. Dazedly he turned, catching the hand between his own fingers as he looked up into shimmering green eyes. But these eyes glowed a ghostly green as Ember McLain grinned back at him. He turned his eyes briefly back to the mirror, seeing the Phantom move one arm around Chloe's waist simultaneous to his own movements.

Shaking his head confusedly he looked down into Ember's eyes, somehow not disconcerted by the fact that Chloe stood in her place within the reflected world. Instead Danny smiled, catching Ember's left hand in his right as he drifted away from the mirror. He stared into the ghost's green eyes, dumbfounded by the strange longing pooling in those sparkling green depths. He whirled Ember around, guiding the two of them through shifting mist as they slow danced across the cool stone floor.

Danny eventually noticed the music, eerily lilting and yet somehow familiar; the bell like chiming of a glockenspiel thrilling with the fuzzy recognition of some long forgotten lullaby. It was hauntingly beautiful, twirling around the two of them with the eddying grace of moonlight on the waves of a wandering river. The music moved through him, moving him powerlessly with the overwhelming currents of the spectral dance.

Around him the room came into clearer resolution, tall darkened windows stretching forever upwards towards a high arched ceiling. Thick support beams of heavy black wood contrasted against the almost angelic white of the ceiling. Two chandeliers hung suspended in the air, held aloft by spider web thin strands of glittering silver that seemed to glow with delicate intricacy. Each monumental chandelier was lit by the bright light of hundreds of blue glowing candles, sending flickering shadows around the room.

Figures made of mist danced around them, rolling shadows that whirled and vanished as they pressed closer towards Danny and his spectral partner. He smiled, leaning forward as Ember dipped back, moving fluidly with the tinkling melody. Around them the shadows moved, figures half remembered gaining momentary clarity before fading back into the misted gloom. All Danny knew was the strange lilting melody and the comforting solidity of green eyes before him.

The beat changed, speeding up as the ethereal music seemed to gather a counter melody, the two parts twining around each other as wraithlike whispers echoed through the chiming bells. But even the melody seemed surreal, foreign in its familiarity and comforting in its haunting cadence. A soft smile crept onto Danny's lips as he continued to waltz slowly through the crowd of misted shades, letting the music sink deep into his soul. Ember's arms were soft and warm in his, her body moving harmoniously with his in time with the airy music.

Around him the shadows danced, twirling in misted synchronization as the blue candlelight flickered. The room felt lush, filled with life and energy as the dancers shifted in the room, yet somehow still Danny felt alone, separated by a thin veil that he couldn't quite fathom. The wraith like shadows pressed in, closer and closer as Danny and Ember moved in time with the lilting melody, close enough that Danny could make out vague features.

A flash of blue eyes, a red jacket; the familiar facial features of a man he should know. But he couldn't place the man properly before the shadows shifted once more, the tall dark haired man swallowed up in the eerie grace of the otherworldly dance. Danny's eyes creased confusedly as he once more spun Ember away, watching the elegant way she twirled before spinning back into his waiting arms. Danny closed his eyes, pressing his nose into the soft strands of her hair and breathing for a moment as the lilting melody bubbled through his blood.

He opened them a moment later, smiling down into loving amethyst as Sam Manson beamed back at him. The pale faced young woman looked angelic, a soft pink blush dusting her cheeks as she moved alongside him, her gothic purple ball gown shifting ethereally around her. Danny relished in the moment, his heart feeling completely settled as he danced with the girl he had always loved. The music pounded, warm and rich as he guided Sam easily across the room, the shadows welcoming them as the two were lost in the spectral dance.

Sam grinned at him, smirking slightly as she leaned forward to catch something off the top of his head. He felt his hair move, an unfamiliar weight suddenly being taken away as Sam lifted a silver crown away and placed it mirthfully atop her own raven hair. The crown sat lightly atop her head, blue flames highlighting the glittering sparkle in her amethyst eyes. Sam shifted, taking the lead as they waltzed through the shadowed mists.

Danny let her lead, feeling relaxed and docile in the warmth of her arms and the movement of the mysterious melody. Together they spun, twirling easily through the crowd and towards the shadowed corners, where the light of the flickering candles didn't quite reach. Sam was warm against him, milky skin seeming to glow in the haunted ball room. She smiled at him, a soft loving smile that promised the world and made his heart leap in his chest.

He grinned, waltzing around her in time with the beat, drawing her closer into his chest as the lilting melody continued its slow movement. His eyes flickered upwards briefly, catching his own reflection in the darkened glass of the tall window. He frowned, pulling away slightly as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the image. The Sam in his arms moved, twirling away in time with the music and Danny gasped when he saw her reflection.

The Sam in the glass was nothing more than a shadow, harrowed skin stretched over her skeleton, amethyst eyes dulled with the coldness of death. And even as the dance moved on Danny felt tears prickling in his eyes as the girl in his arms suddenly felt less real. Danny caught the eyes of his reflection, flinching at the sparkling crimson that smirked back at him.

Danny froze, staring in muted horror as the Phantom in the glass leaned forward, two sharp fangs protruded from his smirking lips. Phantom flicked his eyes once more to Danny, sinister glee gazing back at him as steely fangs bit into the crook of Sam's pallid neck. Danny gasped, his eyes stinging as Sam's reflection faded away, vanishing slowly into the black mists as she was consumed by the dark Phantom of the reflected world.

Danny suddenly felt bereft, feeling the absence of his own Sam as her gentle weight was consumed by gloomy shadows. He looked tearfully back to the place she had stood, trying to understand what had just occurred. But all that remained was the silver crown, blue flames flickering lowly as Danny bent down to touch the cool metal. A half familiar sensation swept through him, the strange tingling of intangibility on his fingers as the silvery metal slipped through his fingers before vanishing in a pool of eddying black mist.

Frowning he stood up, pushing through the last few shadows forcefully as he walked across to the window. Opposite him the red eyed Phantom mimicked the movement, a cruel smirk lighting his red eyes. A thousand questions fluttered to the tip of his lips as he gazed at the red eyed figure, but none gained any voice. Instead Danny found himself staring at the dancing shadows behind his sinister other half, still caught up in the ominously encroaching melody.

Gaunt reflections of people he knew danced, eternally trapped in the shadowed world as the cruel red eyed Phantom smirked back at him. The dancers moved unawares, seemingly caught up in the ethereal dance, blue candlelight flickering above them, accentuating the harrowed shading of their death darkened eyes.

He saw his aunt and uncle together, Jonathan and Martha Kent pressed against each other despite the divide of death. Near them his parents moved, twirling elegantly through the crowded ball room for all that Danny knew they were long dead. Two sets of parental figures, three of which Danny knew to be dead, but all moved gracefully in time with the tinkling melody.

Lana Lang smiled happily, moving gracefully against Lex Luthor's strong chest. Near them Clark Kent smiled easily, gazing warmly down into the eyes of Lois Lane. And Danny caught sight of a strange triad as Chloe Sullivan and Ember McLain traded partners with an enshrouded figure, changing rapidly as the three moved around each other.

He watched on as dead and living danced alongside each other, forever caught in the lilting melody that eddied menacingly around them. Never noticing what was being stolen from with Phantom's presence. The skeletal reflections all waltzed gracefully; hauntingly gaunt in the dark light of flickering blue candlelight.

Danny took a pained step forward, feeling isolated in the room of shadows, his dark counterpart seemingly draining the life out of everyone that danced in that crowded hall. Even as Danny watched the figures seemed paler, what little life remained being stolen away as Phantom took everything they had. Ice pooled in the depths of Danny's soul as he helplessly watched on, feeling the dancing shadows behind him fade slowly away into nothingness as the music reached a resounding crescendo.

He watched, startled as the crowd in the reflection abruptly broke apart, losing the rhythm completely as one figure stepped forward with a hand clutched closely to his chest. Danny stepped forward fearfully, unable to do anything despite the pounding in his heart. A head of raven hair staggered out of the crowd, coughing blood as deep crimson pooled over his hands. Briefly the figure looked up, blue eyes glaring directly into his, and for a breathless moment Danny couldn't tell whether he was meeting his own disgusted glare or his cousin's beseeching one.

The figure stopped, collapsing forward in a boneless heap as the blood continued to pour to the cold stone beneath him. Danny gasped, glaring fearfully at the dark red eyed Phantom opposing him, doing nothing to help despite the horror playing out just behind him. He stepped forward, closing the final gap between himself and the window, reaching a cautious hand to touch the reflective pane. Smirking sickeningly, the white haired figure did nothing, standing defiantly still with his jaw cocked in confident challenge.

Danny's fingers contacted the glass just as the music stopped, a crisp bell thrilling out into silence as the haunting ballroom seemed to still. Danny stood frozen, watching cracks lace out from the glass beneath his figures, like ice on a frozen pond. For a moment the room fell silent, drawing in a deep breath as the stillness stretched. Danny's eyes traced the cracks, watching as they spread in jagged edges through the reflected world.

The Phantom in the looking glass smirked at him, even as a dark splinter sliced through his face. The window held for a tense moment, a web of serrated edges clouding the vision of the reflected world and then, like the tremendous roar of an avalanche, the window fell. A cascade of splintered shards collapsed, shrilling against each other, tumbling through the air like a waterfall of steely silver. Danny flinched, the monumental shrill tumbling terrifyingly towards him as he stood paralysed.

Lances of glass crystal lashed out at him, and Danny bit back a scream as the first desiccating shards ripped into his flesh. He gasped, the tinkling of shattering glass clamouring around him, ringing to the depths of his soul as he was consumed by the gnashing jaws of unending glass splinters. They fell and kept falling, shredding him to ribbons as he felt cascades of blood ooze from beneath broken skin. The pain was sharp, tearing into him with merciless accuracy as the cascade of glass continued to fall.

Danny caught a reflection of red, a large broken shard catching his own bloodstained eyes as it fell. It was as though the world slowed down, reality shifting until all that mattered was that single glittering shard of glass, tumbling endlessly through the air. Paralysed eyes watched as the glass fell, the sharpened edge rotating eerily in the flickering blue candlelight. The dagger like tip angled towards him, and Danny found that he couldn't move, couldn't breathe as the glass cut deep into his chest, tearing through ribs and plunging deep into his heart.

Danny gasped, the world staggering around him as his heart froze, the muscle fading with every muted heartbeat as lifeblood pooled around the murderous shard. All he knew was agony, his chest screaming at him as his heart struggled to stay beating. But he was cold, so cold. It felt as though his heart had turned to ice, turned to liquid nitrogen that poured deep into the dimming recesses of his soul. His eyes flickered closed, unable to focus on anything but the glacial chill that was slowly consuming him.

Black shadows pooled over him, consuming all that was left and desecrating the remains. Light turned to dark, the promise of monumental change held in the breathless silence between broken heartbeats. But in the stillness there was nothing, and Danny Fenton knew no more.

_-/-_

Clark Kent lurched awake as the sound of muffled panting echoed through the moonlit house. The blaring red light of his alarm clock read just past three in the morning, but the moonlight that pooled through a crack in his curtain made it seem later. His sensitive ears searched through the darkness, quickly placing the source of the noise. A bedroom over his cousin was breathing rapidly, his heartbeat racing as fast as it ever went. If it was the first time this had happened Clark would have gotten up, he would have gone out of his way to make sure his younger cousin was alright.

But it wasn't the first time.

In fact this was the tenth night in a row that Clark had woken to the sound of his cousin breathlessly recovering from a nightmare. Danny never spoke of them, the images that plagued him during the night. But every morning Clark saw his cousin becoming more haggard, more worn. And he was at a loss for what to do.

A year ago he'd been happy, completely at peace with himself and the world; sitting on the cusp of going to college, with Lana Lang confidently by his side. A year ago everything had seemed so simple, even when his young orphaned cousin had come to live with them. Even when his young cousin had turned out to be far more complicated than the human boy they'd been expecting. He certainly hadn't anticipated finding out that Danny was a half-ghost hero with far more in common with him than just the similarity in their powers.

That wasn't to say that nothing good had happened in the year since Danny had first arrived on the farm. The feeling of camaraderie he'd built with the boy was worth it in itself, and the two of them had spent countless hours together to the point where Danny was his brother in all but blood. Danny had brought a lot of joy to their lives since first arriving in Smallville. In fact it was really amazing how strong he'd been given that his arrival marked the death of his own family. Clark regretted that he'd never had the chance to know his maternal aunt and uncle, but he felt like he knew them by virtue of who Danny was. And Clark knew that Danny had done a lot of good for his family; he couldn't imagine surviving through his dad's death without the younger boy's support. It had made the difference during one of the hardest parts of his life and Clark held nothing but deep respect for the younger boy.

The problem was... the problem was his own conscience. Danny's nightmares were due to Clark's mistake. And Clark hated that more than anything else. Twenty days ago he'd been tricked by the Brain Interactive Construct, a super-advanced form of Kryptonian artificial intelligence, into releasing Krypton's greatest enemy from the confines of the Phantom Zone. The spirit of Zod had proceeded to possess Lex Luthor, and in his attempt to eliminate the threat Clark himself had been sent to the Phantom Zone.

Twenty days ago he'd been rendered helpless, lost in the barren wasteland that was the landscape of the harshest prison in the known universe. A place so fierce that even ghosts feared its name. Even now he couldn't begin to describe the emotion he'd felt when Danny came to rescue him. The boy's single minded determination to set the world to right had been Clark's one redeeming grace. Danny had led him through the wind-torn sand dunes of the Phantom Zone. Despite everything, Danny had gotten him out so that Clark could stop Zod and save the world.

But that was where it all went wrong. Danny had been forced to stay behind, sacrificing himself to ensure Clark's safe passage out of the Phantom Zone. He'd watched, helplessly, as a dagger was plunged into the younger boy's chest, unable to do anything as the portal opened and sent him back to Earth. He'd stopped Zod, and sent his spirit back to the wasteland prison, but had believed it was at the expense of his cousin's life. For nearly four days he'd believed, he'd _known_ that Danny was dead and had sacrificed himself to save both Clark and the whole world.

His mom had been distraught, Chloe completely devastated. Ember and Wulf, two of Danny's ghostly friends had been absolutely overwhelmed. It had been with disbelieving relief that Danny had returned to them. Lionel Luthor had scoured the globe until the boy was found, rescued from a crater in rural Australia. Lionel had brought Danny back to them, and if nothing else that earned the man a great deal of respect in Clark's eyes. The image of Danny, stepping out of Lionel's black car as the sun parted overhead was still burned into his memory. He had never imagined his life to pick up the surreal cliché quality of comic books or fairy tales, but at that moment he hadn't cared. Danny, his cousin, his _brother_ had by some miracle been returned to them and that was all that mattered.

It wasn't until much later that Danny revealed the cost of his salvation. Apparently, after the devastation of what the reporters were now calling 'Dark Thursday', and the twin journeys into and out of the Phantom Zone, Danny's ghost core, the ghost equivalent of a human heart, had been practically decimated. Danny no longer had his ghost powers, the one thing that had been constant for the younger boy for as long as Clark had known him. Sure, there had been a time when he himself had lived without his powers, but those were drastically different circumstances. And Clark couldn't help but feel guilty because _all_ of it, everything that led to Danny losing his powers, was his entire fault.

But there was nothing he could do, not when Danny wasn't talking. So Clark just rolled over, pushing the image of his cousin out of his mind as much as he could. Danny hadn't spoken about the nightmares, no matter how bad they got. It was with heavy conscience that Clark calmed his breathing, trying to settle himself back to sleep. There was nothing he could do to help, and, for now, Clark felt justified in stewing in his own guilt. Long after the muffled cries from his cousin's room had ceased he felt his eyes flutter closed, the calming embrace of dreamless sleep finally taking him into comforting darkness.

_-/-_

Deep in the depths of the Ghost Zone a shadow moved, drifting through the eternal planes of green with familiar ease. It chose, for now, to bide its time; watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike. It was here, in the most ancient and forgotten parts of the Ghost Zone that it could regain its strength. It could have been a day or a millennium since it was placed in its prison. In that damnable confinement time meant nothing, could mean nothing. But now it was free, and was more than willing to wait the small time it took to regain enough strength to deliver retribution upon its jailer.

For time being it was nothing, reduced to less than a mean shadow of the great creature it had once been. Once, people had trembled in its name, proclaiming it demon, devil, retribution, damned deliverance, _master_. But like all great beings it had become too assured of its own power, allowing a lesser creature to topple the shadow from its great peak. It would not claim a name, not for now. The name it had once possessed was owned by the great being it once was, the being it would be again given time. It would not allow its own name to be besmirched by the foul creature it was in between greatnesses. The shadow would rise again; its defeat only motivated it to further heights. It would rise once more, and reclaim the title it had earned. Repossess the name that belonged only to the shadow's ascended self.

But for now it chose to wait, simply observing the movement of the denizens of the Ghost Zone as they moved about their existences. It was meaningless to the shadow, knowing as it did that the hourglass was running out on this world just as it was for the Real World beyond it. Its attention was caught briefly on a feminine form, garbed in a medieval blue robe and wearing a glimmering green necklace. The green skinned woman paused briefly in front of a portal, seemingly steeling her resolve before slipping through the swirling gateway and into the Real World.

The shadow dismissed it, shrugging the thought away from its mind as it rested. Slowly it continued its undetermined drifting, ignored by the other denizens who passed it off as nothing. As it drifted the ambient energy of the Ghost Zone filled it, sustained it. It could feel the energy swirling around inside it, gradually replacing all that had been lost in its fall.

Time was meaningless, never more so than in the ageless realms of the Ghost Zone.

But vengeance and retribution were emotions that all beings knew only too well.

So the shadowy creature drifted onwards, slinking through the darkest recesses of the Ghost Zone, waiting and rebuilding itself. For even to the ageless time passes, and with every continued minute it regained its lost strength. Time was meaningless, but for the shadowed creature its vengeance was only a matter of time.

All it needed to do now was watch, and wait.


	2. Absolution

Chapter 1

Absolution

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

_"Pentagon officials continue to deny any security breach and any responsibility for the events of Dark Thursday. Experts predicted the recovery from Dark Thursday would take years, but here in Metropolis, the cleanup effort has been remarkably swift. The public is stunned at how fast rubble has been cleared from the streets. This is Genevieve Sparling reporting..."_

Martha Kent sighed as she flicked the radio off. It had been twenty days since the horrors of Dark Thursday, and the accounts of death, destruction and devastation kept coming in. Every day she received more reports, more calls for government aid, and more pulls at her heart when she had to say no because the Kansas state budget was stretched too far already. She was one of the privileged few who actually knew what had happened that day. Even the President was unaware, and the blame was being accredited to a maniacal rogue terrorist organisation. Scientists and investigators were still struggling to figure out how it was even possible for a single computer virus to decimate global infrastructure, finding it impossible to uncover the answer with the resources they had available.

But she knew the truth, and it hurt her more than anything to see her son and her nephew in the aftermath. Clark blamed himself for everything, trying to shoulder a burden that wasn't his. And Danny... well her nephew had now become little more than a ghost of who he once was. It was miserable to watch; Clark had taken to trying to clear up the destruction single-handedly and was solidly running himself into the ground with every passing day. Danny had almost completely isolated himself, since losing his ghost powers he'd essentially given up. Both boys had lost that bright spark in their eyes, and it left her completely devastated to think that there was nothing she could do to bring it back.

"Morning." A voice interrupted, startling Martha out of her musings.

"Danny." She gasped, offering him a small smile as the boy came down the stairs. "You startled me."

"Sorry." The boy replied, and there it was, that almost dead look that had grown cancerously in his eyes since the day he had returned to them. "I'll be off now. Least I can do is feed the cows now that they aren't afraid of me."

Martha nodded, offering a small smile as the boy headed out the door. Inside her heart broke a little more; the Danny that had returned to them was a very different one than the young boy who had arrived in Smallville just under a year ago. It was like losing his powers had broken something in him, but at the same time it had to be deeper than that. Danny wasn't that shallow, and he had never once even complained during the time when he was sick and virtually powerless earlier in the year. She sighed, staring into the bottom of her coffee cup as though the dark liquid could somehow yield the answers she so desperately needed.

Instead she headed out to the barn, wrapping herself up in Jonathan's old jacket like a security blanket. The loft had been fully repaired before Danny came back; Clark had been driven to do it out of guilt. And at that point it was a good distraction given the fact that they had all believed Danny was dead.

She hated herself for half wishing it had been that way instead of the shadow that had returned to them.

"You've been out again all night, haven't you?" Martha commented, releasing a long suffering sigh as she saw Clark wearily nailing together two pieces of plywood.

"Can't do what I need to do in the daylight." Clark dismissed, not even bothering to turn around and face her.

"Clark, I know you want to help, but..." she paused, not really knowing the right words to say. "You can't single-handedly rebuild everything that's been destroyed."

Clark scoffed. "It's my mess, mom. I need to clean it up."

"You're not responsible for what happened." Martha replied firmly. If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that. "Zod is."

"Zod would not have been released if, for once in my life, I had listened to Jor-El..." Clark gritted out, and it tore at Martha's heart to hear the self hatred in her son's voice. "And done what he asked me to do." The young man sighed, turning away from her without even once meeting her eyes. "I have chores to do."

Martha nodded, a grim smile pasting itself onto her lips as she turned to leave, but before she could Clark faltered. There was a sharp crack as the wood split unevenly and a moment later she was rushing to his side to catch him. Clark _never _moved like that, but in her son's face she saw weariness far beyond his sleepless nights. She barely heard herself asking if he was okay, but the young man dismissed it as nothing.

"Clark," she called after him, catching him around the wrist as he tried to pull away "wait. I've never seen you this worn out. Even you have your limits. The chores can wait."

"I'm okay, mom. Really." The man replied, his eyes visibly shuttering up as he pulled away. "I'm fine."

The man was halfway towards the back door when he paused. Martha frowned as she watched the muscles tense in his back. She heard him draw in a sharp breath, half surprised. It almost sounded like Clark was about to...

There was an enormous rush of air, and Martha literally felt the pressure in the barn move as Clark's enormous sneeze ripped the barn door off its hinges. Her eyes widened as her son turned to stare at her. Shock marred the young man's face. She couldn't recall Clark sneezing ever before. Never once in all his life, not even a case of the sniffles. But right now... if she didn't know any better she would have thought that Clark had caught a cold.

Taking advantage of his shocked stupor she bustled the raven-head back into house so she could make sure. What with how run down he was lately she couldn't be sure if he was just sick, or if it was something more worrisome. Fortunately Clark was being fairly compliant, although that in itself was troubling when it came to her son.

"Danny." She called out, hoping the younger boy hadn't strayed too far out since she'd last seen him. By the time she'd gotten Clark to sit down she heard the kitchen door swing open and closed, indicating that her nephew was back.

"What's wrong?" The younger boy asked, somehow sounding emotionless despite the soft concern that coloured his voice.

"Clark sneezed." Martha replied, sending a worried look across at Danny as Clark pulled a thermometer out of the medicine kit.

"Sneezed?" Danny repeated. "Clark doesn't sneeze."

"Mm-hmm" Clark nodded around the thermometer, giving it a moment before pulling it out of his mouth. "First time I've had a scratchy throat with my ears all plugged up too."

Martha took the thermometer out of his hands, looking at the digital display. "98.6" she noted. "No fever."

"So just a common cold then?" Danny asked, pulling the jar of orange juice out of the fridge.

Martha frowned, looking between the two boys. Despite the younger's depression, the vast difference between the two couldn't have been more clear. Clark looked visibly sick, and short of exposure to kryptonite, she couldn't ever remember seeing him so badly off.

"Probably." Clark shrugged, accepting a glass when Danny handed it over. "I've never pushed myself so far into overdrive before."

On the other side of the counter Danny took a seat, staring into his glass with a painfully blank face. "You know," the boy pointed out, "One of the things the Phantom Zone is 'sposed to do is cancel out all powers. That includes your Kryptonian immune system."

"You think he was exposed to something?" Martha pressed, looking at the empty eyes of her nephew. Danny shrugged listlessly back.

"Whatever it is, I'm not really that sick." Clark dismissed, standing up and setting his empty glass in the sink. "I'll be back later; the fence in the back quarter needs to be fixed up before we can run the cows there."

"I'll help." Danny added, standing up to follow the elder raven haired young man. With a soft thud the door closed behind them, leaving Martha staring worriedly in their wake. She couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. Clark had always had a large guilt complex, and she had always tried to comfort him through it, reminding him that as great as he was, he couldn't save everyone. But this time nothing seemed to get through to them.

And Danny was worrying her sick; he had been such a bright boy, able to cope with anything that came his way. But the loss of his powers had broken him in a way that she just couldn't understand. Neither of her boys would listen, even though she could see that they were silently crying out for help. It was with the heavy weight of concern that she stood up, moving to wash the few dishes in the sink.

'_Oh, Jonathan_' she thought silently as she watched Clark's truck pull out of the driveway _'without you here we're floundering'_

_-/-_

Lex Luthor scowled over his desk, pushing aside the pile of project files he'd been reviewing as he stared at the man before him. Caramel skinned with a slight five o'clock shadow, Robert Pontius was supposed to be the best; the Private Detective had built a name for his unseen hand and impeccable results. More to the point, he wasn't above using any means necessary to deliver, making him perfectly suited for Lex's needs. However, it had been ten days since he had hired the man and Lex was yet to see any results.

"Mr. Pontius." Lex said, keeping his tone carefully neutral to belie the irritation he was feeling. "What the hell am I paying you for? I was followed again today."

Pontius nodded, acknowledging his unspoken disapproval. "Black Range Rover, Edge City plates?" Lex nodded in confirmation. "I tracked it to an abandoned factory on Fifth and Hayworth."

"Then why are you still here?" Lex prodded, allowing a little silent accusation to colour his tone.

"I'm on my way." Pontius affirmed, making towards the office door.

Lex released a tense breath, picking up the top file and flicking through it mindlessly. It was for one of his less savoury projects; however with all the stress he'd been under lately he found himself reading without taking anything in.

"I had no idea I was moving into a fortress." A soft spoken feminine voice commented, and Lex found himself smiling despite himself at the sight of Lana Lang. The young woman, after several weeks of careful coaxing, had accepted his offer to move into the Mansion. Although she was quick to remind him that it was _'Only until the school opens up again'. _The only slight problem was the vast difference to the lifestyle to that which she was accustomed. "Everywhere I turn, there's another security guard."

Lex sighed, looking up at the retreating form of Pontius. "Lana, that gentleman's not a security guard." He explained. "He's a private investigator. Over the last few days, it's become clear I'm being followed."

Lana's brows creased in concern. "By who?"

"Well, I doubt I have to look much further than the lowest branch on the family tree, but..." Lex paused, frowning. Over the years there were quite a number of people who had been out for his blood, his domineering father notwithstanding. "I can't be sure."

"You called the police?" Lana probed, brown eyes glimmering with a shade of apprehension.

Lex shook his head. "After breaking every law imaginable while I was inhabited by Zod, I don't want to go anywhere near a badge." Lex let out a heavy sigh as he moved towards the leather sofas. "I can't trust anyone, not even my own security."

Lana sat next to him, laying a supportive hand on his knee. "You can trust me."

"Of course I can." Lex smiled. But that dropped after a moment. Lana's moving into the mansion meant a lot to him, but it couldn't remain a secret for long. For now it was all he could do to keep the gossip magazines away from her, he hardly wanted for the dark haired woman to have to deal with their rumour mongering before she'd even had time to unpack. Plus there was the fact that being an associate of the Luthor name put anyone into danger. He would love to be able to promise complete safety to her, but in this day and age there was no guarantee.

Lex pulled a business card out of his pocket. It was plain grey and only had a name and a number, but it was the best way to keep Lana safe if something happened to him. "I want you to have this... in case of an emergency. He's the best P.I. in Metropolis. If anything happens to me, you need to call that number, not the police. Robert Pontius will make sure you're safe."

Lana's trusting eyes hardened slightly. "Lex, don't talk like that." The young woman denied, moving to push back the card.

Lex caught her hand gently, closing her fingers firmly around the small rectangle of cardboard. "I'm just being cautious." He emphasised as he offered her a small smile.

He knew he cared for Lana, and it was more than purely platonic friendship. She was a beautiful and strong woman, so much stronger than the young girl he'd met in the stables five years ago. He had a deep respect for her, but he was not foolish either. Lana was a strong young woman, but she didn't know the true darkness of the world. Smallville had sheltered her from the world and even all the trauma of 'meteor freaks', tornadoes and meteor showers hadn't hardened her outlook of the world. Lex knew Lana had grown up a lot, but the world was becoming darker by the year and he feared that she could not handle it. At least not alone.

Still smiling at his dark haired companion he clasped her hand firmly in his own, staring into her fathomless brown eyes. Lana would grow into the world, and take it by storm, he knew. But for just now, he wanted to be the one she looked to with adulation and devotion, the one who could protect her from anything. Deep in the most carefully hidden recesses of his soul Lex Luthor wanted to be the one man in the world that Lana loved with all her being.

Some things in this world he could not control, but they were few and far between. But Lex Luthor was a powerful man, and he knew that the only thing between him and what he wanted most was time.

_-/-_

Danny yawned tiredly, leaning over the railing of the kitchen porch as he stared mindlessly out at the tree line. His heart ached, roiling at a loss that he couldn't put to words. He'd thought, when he'd first come back to Earth that he could manage, that he could re-acclimatise to being human. It wasn't hard, after all. He'd been fully human for the first fourteen years of his life. But every day it got worse and worse and it was like he couldn't even remember how _human_ was supposed to feel.

This strange feeling of lethargy had settled in after three days back in Smallville, making it hard for him to even get out of bed. It was like... it was like the entire last year hadn't happened. Like losing his family was still a raw wound and they hadn't been gone for a year. Without the whisper of his ghost core he felt lost, like he couldn't do anything. And he didn't know what to do. More than anything he felt numb, the days passing without meaning and there was nothing for him to look forward to in the future.

How could he be human when he didn't know how to be one?

He knew how to act human; he had done that for nearly three years to cover up his ghost powers. So why was their loss so crushing? Sam would've probably yelled at him for it, after all he had complained so often about how much happier he'd be without his ghost powers. But...

It wasn't that he didn't care about anything else. He knew Clark was struggling, feeling guilty for everything that had happened. He suspected that Lex was feeling guilty too, given that he was the one funding most of the recovery effort in Metropolis. He knew that his aunt was feeling stressed and overworked, what with the constant calls out to Topeka, and with Clark sick her worry could only get worse. He knew that most of the Western World was still barely getting back on its feet after Dark Thursday. And he knew that really, such a little thing as him losing his ghost powers shouldn't mean anything in comparison to all that.

But he just couldn't deal with their loss. It felt like for a whole year he'd been struggling, putting off feeling his own grief by drowning himself in his ghost half and his obsession. And now, when he needed it most he couldn't do anything because without his powers, without his obsession, he was just that same stupid kid that stepped into a non functioning ghost portal and nearly got himself killed.

He heard a knock at the front door, but didn't move to get it. It was as though he couldn't focus on the real world anymore, nothing seemed to capture his attention for any longer than a few seconds. There was nothing there to ground him.

"Lionel." He heard Aunt Martha's voice carry from the living room. Clark was upstairs, he knew, his cousin having been shepherded into bed with a bowl of chicken soup and ordered to rest. Lionel had come by more than once since he'd dropped Danny back at the farm, so he wasn't surprised that the man was over again. "Is everything alright?" Aunt Martha asked, and Danny's reverie was broken slightly at his Aunt's worried tone.

"Lex." Lionel's hoarse voice carried out to him, an edge of honest worry sounding through that was never usually present. "He's gone. I think he's been abducted." Danny's mind seemed to sharpen at that, something intangible echoing through his mind.

"Oh, Lionel." His Aunt's worried voice carried through, slightly louder as the two came through to the kitchen. Danny didn't move, still staring blankly as the wind rustled through the trees. "Are you sure?"

Lionel seemed to grunt. "He's been worried for a few days, and my people have informed me that he hired a Mr Robert Pontius to investigate the people who have been following him." Danny's mind whirled, feeling the barest traces of something flicker through his mind. _'Someone following Lex, step for step, like a stalker, like Skulker for Phantom' _

"Do you know who's behind it?" His Aunt asked, accompanied by the rustling sound of cups as she prepared a cup of tea.

"Considering what he stole from the Pentagon, my initial reaction was the, uh...government, but after I spoke to my contacts in Washington, I don't think so." Lionel answered, pausing a moment before continuing "I was actually hoping to speak to Clark."

"Clark's upstairs, with any luck he's asleep." His aunt replied. "He's practically run himself into the ground, Lionel. It's troubling."

Danny's mind clouded out the conversation, his thoughts whirring shakily around Lionel's admittance. _'Lex has been abducted' _his mind prompted _'Phantom would have known, would have stopped them. But you're not Phantom anymore, Phantom is dead and all that's left is Danny. Useless Danny Fenton who could never do anything right. But why would Lex've been taken? Lionel said that Lex didn't remember anything, unless Lex was lying, but if he was lying then who would know? Who would want to?'_

A frown made its way onto Danny's face, as he felt irritation at the lack of clarity in his own thinking. _'Lex was the vessel of Zod, so what if something was left? Zod was a phantom, not a ghost so it's possible he remembers something. Phantom talked to him that day, if he remembers that maybe he'll think more before he acts in the future. But he can't act, he's been abducted. Phantom would be able to save him. But you're not Phantom. Not anymore. But Lex is missing, and Lex is Danny Fenton's friend. Friends help friends, and that's what friends do.'_

"Who is Robert Pontius?" Danny heard himself ask, surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice from lack of use. Somehow that was important; it was the only detail that he couldn't understand.

"Danny?" His aunt asked, surprise marring her voice. "How long have you been out there?"

Danny shrugged and slid into the kitchen, acknowledging Lionel with a nod of his head.

"Pontius?" Danny repeated, looking at the grey haired man.

"He's a private investigator, operating mainly out of Metropolis." Lionel answered. "Lex hired him on ten days ago, but I suspect he's been followed longer than that."

"And you don't think it's the government?" Danny pressed.

"Doubtful." The grey haired man replied. "The FBI is investigating the cause of Dark Thursday, but no one has made any connections between that and Zod. Miss Lang, Clark and yourself seem to be the only ones who encountered Lex during that time frame. So far as the government knows, Lex was not involved."

Danny bowed his head in acknowledgement, "The last time you saw Lex?"

"Late this morning." Lionel supplied. "He came to my office to accuse me of having him followed, unfounded of course. While I do keep a careful eye on my son I have exceeded none of our usual boundaries since that day. He was supposed to be in a lunch meeting, but he never arrived. Given that there is a ten minute lull in LuthorCorp security records and that he has not been seen since then, I strongly suspect that his pursuers have indeed taken him."

Danny nodded, frowning slightly as he looked at the table. Vague murmurs of something were stirring in the back of his mind, but he was still too lost to understand. "Lex has been abducted, and we know for a fact that Pontius has been close to him in the last few days. Sounds like somewhere to start."

Danny stood up, nodding again in resolve as he moved away from the table. He half felt the eyes of his aunt and Lionel following him as he walked up the stairs, but it didn't touch his conscious mind enough to slow him. Phantom couldn't save Lex; he couldn't follow the pull of his obsession anymore to find him. Phantom was gone. But Danny Fenton, best and closest friend of Tucker Foley, computer hacker extraordinaire, could at least find the man most likely to be able to find him.

The blue light of his computer lit his face, far too bright for his tired eyes. But Lex needed help, and something in him wouldn't let Danny stop until he was back safe and sound.

_-/-_

Lex coughed as he came to awareness, his head pounding with what felt like a jackhammer to his temple. He could feel the beginnings of a bruise building on his cheek, and his neck ached as though it had been bent out of shape while he was unconscious. Bleary eyes took in his surroundings, staring at a high ceilinged water-stained roof. Cheap industrial lights ran the length of the ceiling, bathing the room in a sterilised blue light. But between him and the roof was a layer of wire mesh, spreading over him like the ceiling of a cage. He made to move, but quickly found his limbs bound uncomfortably in place to what felt like a steel lab table.

"Well, good morning, Mr Invincible." An unfamiliar voice snarked. Lex's eyes quickly focused on the man, he looked tall from this angle, wearing cheap cologne and dirty blonde hair. The man was wearing a military grade bullet proof vest, his dark eyes pooled with venom. Lex knew this had to be the man who had been following him for so long.

"Where am I?" Lex demanded, pulling against his restraints.

"In your cage," the man mocked "where every lab rat belongs. Oh, and before you even try escaping, you might want to consider you're hooked up to enough wattage to drop an elephant." Lex paused in his struggles, eying the man carefully.

"Who are you?" He asked, watching the man for anything useful.

The man frowned for a moment before answering. "Just someone who's interested in how you possess superhuman powers." The man was angry, clearly someone personally involved. Lex couldn't help but wonder what _Zod_ had done to earn the man's ire. But the man was also out of the loop, the slight pause indicating that there was _someone else _pulling the man's leash. Lex didn't let his deductions show through though.

"Powers? I don't know what you're talking about." Lex rejected, struggling against his chains.

"Oh, come on, Lex!" The man spat. "We both know you were the one at the Pentagon, swatting away those bullets like they were mosquitoes... and not even a scratch." Lex frowned, the minute gesture picked up by his now smirking captor. "Yeah, see, we... we saw it on the only working satellite on Dark Thursday. So we know you have the powers. We just kind of want to know how you got them."

"My people are already onto you." Lex threatened, hoping to delay the man's crude methods until Pontius could arrive.

"Your people?" the man asked, cocking his head curiously to the side. A malignant look pooled into his eye as feigned concern became a superior smirk. "I think that's the guy I caught kind of roaming around outside. Pontius, right?" The man paused, meeting him cruelly in the eye. "The guy in the office with the bullet in his head."

Lex felt his blood still for a moment. With Pontius gone there was no one on his trail. He hadn't trusted his security detail enough to follow him, and now he was paying the price tenfold. He resumed his struggles against the bonds, the cold metal table pressing uncomfortably against his spine as he pulled tirelessly against his bonds.

"Enough foreplay, all right?" His captor interrupted, and Lex froze as he felt the barrel of a gun dig deep into his chin. "Let's get this started. You're gonna tell me everything."

Looking at the mad edge in the blonde man's eyes Lex wondered just how long he could hold out. After all, in this instance the truth was far to surreal to even be remotely believable.

_-/-_

Lana sighed, trailing her fingers across the ivory piano keys. In the background one of Chopin's Nocturnes was playing, the dark dissociated plucking notes somehow echoing her own mood. She was... happy to be moving in with Lex. The man had been a steady source of support after everything she'd been through with Clark, and she wanted to be there for him now when he was dealing with the emotional scarring left behind by Zod. She pressed a key, the isolated note almost jarring in contrast to the richness of the music playing in the background.

"Lana?" A soft voice asked. Lana turned around uneasily, feeling like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "What are you doing here?"

Dark hair and blue eyes met her, but it wasn't the face she had expected to meet. It had been over a month since she had last seen Danny, and if she was brutally honest it looked like someone had trampled over his grave. "I'm living here now." She answered, realising how long it had taken her to respond.

"When did that happen?" Danny asked. Lana frowned, he seemed... off. She couldn't say what it was but something was wrong with the dark haired young man.

"End of semester." Lana answered. "After everything that happened, Lex offered me a roof."

Danny nodded, seeming distracted. "Lex, right." He acknowledged. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"This morning," She answered confusedly. "Why?"

"He didn't show up for a meeting, he's gone missing." Danny responded. "I was trailing the best lead..."

"I haven't seen him since then, but he mentioned..." Lana paused, unsure how much she should share. She knew that Danny was still friends with Lex; he had mentioned that they still caught up every so often for a spar when she first accepted the offer. Though, Lex had been too busy since Dark Thursday to invite the younger man over.

The problem was that Danny was Clark's cousin, and that's where it all got too confusing. Danny was loyal to Clark, but he was also Lex's friend. She didn't know who would come first which meant she didn't know if she could trust him about Lex's safety.

"Why are you the leader of the search party?" She pressed, meeting the younger firmly in the eye.

"Lex is my friend." The boy quickly replied. "I don't want to see him hurt."

"And there aren't any other reasons?" Lana pressed. "How did you know that Lex was going to be transformed into that monster before anyone else?"

"Lana I..." Danny paused, shaking his head uncomfortably. "I come from Amity Park. Where you had meteor freaks running around, I had ghosts. More than that, I'm the son of two of the world's leading Ghost Hunters. I know how to read signs like that, and I know that when something like that happens things are likely to go badly."

"Zod wasn't a ghost though." Lana replied, crossing her arms across her chest. The fact of the matter was that while Danny hadn't been the one to suggest killing Lex, he had been involved in the discussion. She didn't want to let either Danny or his cousin anywhere near Lex until she knew their motivations.

"You're right." Danny admitted "He wasn't. Not a ghost, not a human, not a..." Lana frowned at the boy's dissociated tone, he sounded so lost for a moment there. His eyes went misty for a moment, as though he was seeing something else entirely. "Lex is missing." Danny interrupted himself, the change in discussion leaving Lana feeling off balance.

"You said so." Lana replied, feeling slightly uneasy. The longer he spoke, the more Lana got the feeling something was wrong with the boy. The light that usually glimmered in his eyes was gone, and if she didn't know any better she would have said he was in shock. But that didn't make any sense.

"Okay." Danny nodded, his voice still disconcertingly disconnected. "Okay. Do you mind if I look around to see if I can find any clues?" The boy asked, but Lana got the distinct impression that he wouldn't be stopped if she told him to.

Danny walked over to Lex's desk, fingers brushing across the abandoned files before he flipped open Lex's laptop. Lana moved so she could look over his shoulder, distrust warring with her own curiosity. Danny's fingers danced lightly across the keyboard, bypassing Lex's security entirely. A frown pulled at Lana's lips; it was bad enough knowing that Chloe was able to hack into things, she wasn't sure she liked the idea that Danny could too. The screen went black, and Lana vaguely recognised the stark font of the command screen. Fingers still tapping lightly across the keyboard Danny entered a command before pulling back slightly in his chair.

Lana barely contained a startled jump as one of the panels in the wall beside them opened up, revealing what looked like a video feed of every room in the house. "How...?" Lana murmured, pressing her fingers lightly to her lips.

"Lex's laptop can hook into the Mansion's security; I just walked through the programmer's backdoor and traced the command prompts." Danny answered from behind her, his voice still lacking in any true emotion. There was a soft tapping and the screen displaying the office rewound until just before her own conversation with Lex this morning.

There was a man on screen, sporting a five o'clock shadow and wearing an unobtrusive grey suit. Another tap from the laptop and the volume raised to the point where she could hear what Lex was saying.

"_Pontius." _Lex's slightly heated voice came over the speakers._ "What the hell am I paying you for? I was followed again today."_

Lana saw the man, Pontius nod. This was the man Lex had told her about, his business card still burning a hole in her pocket. She wondered, distractedly, if calling him would help at all. _"Black Range Rover, Edge City plates? I tracked it to an abandoned factory on Fifth and Hayworth."_

"_Then why are you still here?" _Lex seemed to demand, a cold edge to his voice that forced Lana to remember the man who had possessed him twenty days prior.

"_I'm on my way." _Pontius answered. Lana watched as the man left and an image of herself came in. Danny paused the video there and Lana felt glad that at least he was courteous enough to give her that level of privacy.

"Fifth and Hayworth." Danny commented, and Lana turned around to look at the blue eyes boy. There was something almost like determination in his eye, but it was a mockery of the emotion that felt shallow.

"I'm coming with you." Lana demanded, setting her shoulders.

"No you're not." Danny replied. "You need to be here where you're safe. You were with Lex that day, what's to say they won't want you too?"

Lana glared at the younger boy. "That doesn't matter."

"And when they capture you to force Lex's hand? Or they kill you to make Lex give in?" Danny countered. "Lana, if _you _go, you're playing right into their hands. Someone like me, I'm just a kid. Disposable. But people like you and Lex matter. So you will stay here and wait because when Lex gets home he'll need you to be safe."

Lana frowned, meeting the boy squarely in the eye. There was something of Clark in him, the hard-headedness that wouldn't take no for an answer. But at the same time there was a strange sense of vacancy, like Danny was lost and looking for a light to guide him home. It was... unnerving. So much so that she stayed frozen as the boy walked out, leaving her standing alone in the empty office.

She stared blankly at the video screens for a moment, feeling lost as she tried to figure out what to do next. But something caught her attention. One of the screens in the top corner was playing a feed of _her_ room. Lana stared blankly, an uncomfortable weight settling in the pit of her stomach as she watched a recording of herself undress, bare skin unknowingly displayed before Lex's hidden cameras.

It was one thing tripping over Lex's security at every step, but seeing evidence of this invasion of her privacy left her feeling appalled. She didn't know what to think, and so she sat heavily in one of the sofas. Between this, hearing about Lex's abduction, and the unsettling emotions from her conversation with Danny, Lana found herself feeling numb. Things were changing almost too quickly, and at that moment what she wanted most in the world was Lex's warm arms around her, protecting her entirely from the encroaching confusion.

_-/-_

"Are you going to tell me your name at least?" Lex demanded, tasting bile in the back of his throat.

The man laughed, the gun in his arms demanding attention as it waved threateningly close to Lex's temples. "No why would you need that?" The man replied, menacingly as he tapped the nozzle of the gun against Lex's Jaw. Lex kept his eyes fixed on his captor, even though he now sensed another man in the room.

"What are you doing with the gun?" A second voice asked from the shadows. Lex could hear the nervousness in his tone, but there was no way he could strain enough against his bonds to be able to see him.

"So?" The blonde man scoffed. "I don't answer to anybody, okay? Especially _your _boss." The slight emphasis was accusative, and Lex filed that detail away for later. Dissent in the ranks could be used to his advantage, if he had the chance to use it. "What I want to know is how bullets bounced off his body like ping-pong balls." Blondie continued, turning his attention back to Lex "Now, information like that is very valuable on the open market."

The man in the shadows spoke up, attempting to seize control, but with the sheer anger boiling in Blondie's eyes, he didn't stand a chance. "You were specifically hired to..."

"Yeah, well, guess what?" Blondie snarled, snapping his attention over Lex's head and into the shadows. "I'm an entrepreneur, okay? So either you join my newest venture, or you can end up like the Pontius guy. Your choice."

Insane eyes turned back to him, and Lex struggled to keep his breathing even. Over the years he'd been in many hostage situations, and by now he had come to recognise that that look in a captor's eyes meant that pretty soon blood was going to spill. With Pontius dead he knew that there was little chance of rescue, so the best he could hope for right now was to wait Blondie out and forge his own escape path when his attention wavered. Probably he could use the man in the shadows to help; there was enough guilt in his voice to suggest that he at least didn't want him dead. But it was a tenuous line to walk, and Lex knew that best case scenario he wasn't walking out of here Scott free.

Blondie quickly tired of waiting for a response, his eyes darkening with bloodlust. "Hey, Lex!" The man barked, white teeth flashing in the stark bright lighting. "Yeah I was thinking. Why don't we try a little experiment?"

Very deliberately Blondie switched off the safety in the gun, making Lex squirm against his restraints. He could feel the ropes cutting into his skin, leaving a mottled mess as he tried to move out of the path of danger. All he could see was the dark barrel of the gun, pointing straight towards him. His heart froze in his chest as he heard a loud bang, and an instant later there was a fire burning through his arm. His mind blanked as pain overwhelmed him, all he could feel was the roaring fire of the bullet wound in his arm as he struggled to regain any control of his senses.

Time must have passed while he was overwhelmed because suddenly Blondie was standing on his other side with a silver switch blade flickering between his fingers.

"So tell me," The man commented almost idly given the fact he'd just blown a bullet hole straight through Lex's arm. "What is it that turns a weak, hairless punk into some superhuman Goliath?"

Lex glared at the other man. "I honestly don't know."

The man scoffed. "Well, I honestly don't believe you." He commented, walking disdainfully around the lab table.

An exhausted laugh slipped through his lips at that. "You really want to know?" He murmured. And maybe it was pain induced madness, maybe it was the some strange type of guilt, but Lex found himself responding with the truth. "A being from another dimension – actually, another planet – inhabited my body and gave me powers. It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. When he left me, the powers went with him. That's it." He shrugged, feeling strangely dissociated from everything. "That's all I know."

Reality came crashing back with the sound of a gun cocking. "Are you _mocking _me?" Blondie demanded, pressing the gun into his chest. Lex's attention was instantly dragged back to the very real danger of the present.

"Now, why would I mock a guy who just shot me?" Lex spat, glaring at the man.

Blondie didn't back down. "You know, the first gunshot was a minor flesh wound, Lex. But this one may sting a little more. Do you want to keep our new girlfriend happy?" Lex blinked twice. Why were they talking about Lana, they didn't _have_ her, did they? But with the ease they'd taken him, he knew Blondie could capture her just as easily. He couldn't let that happen. Not if it was _Lana_ at stake.

"All right!" Lex shouted, his mind whirring as he tried to figure out the best way to keep Lana safe. The first thing to come to mind was the project files he'd been looking over, was it only this morning? It was the best thing he could think of for now. And at least if they went jabbing themselves with it, they would very quickly find themselves in the emergency room. "All right, you win. There's a serum. It's in a lab on the 33rd floor of LuthorCorp. It's in the vault in the centre cabinet. The code is 'julian452'."

Blondie smirked, eyes flashing as he barked an order for his companion to fetch it. Lex was saved from any further thought as he was backhanded with the butt of Blondie's gun. The pain seemed to fade away as Lex slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

_-/-_

Danny frowned, using one leg to balance the motorbike as he stared up at the warehouse. He couldn't precisely recall the journey between the Luthor Mansion and here; it was though he was just drifting between moments. Even still, he knew this was where Lex was most likely to be. Shaking his head he picked his foot up, revving the motorbike and pulling it away. He couldn't think particularly clearly, but he didn't want to leave his bike where Lex's abductors could see it. It'd only tell them that something was wrong and Danny didn't want to have to deal with wary kidnappers like that.

He parked the bike a couple of blocks away before walking back to the warehouse, his mind lost somewhere between the present and the past. He'd last been in this area twenty days ago, battling with Brainiac and ultimately destroying that copy of the construct. Even still he could see scars from that fight; scorch marks and tears and the earth that were all too violent to be anything other than traces of that fight. Warehouses were fights with the Box Ghost, his first meeting with Victor Stone, dodging Ghost Hunters with Sam and Tucker. But that was over now; Phantom was gone.

The sun had long since set, and the only light came from the shabby run-down apartment block three streets away and foggy warehouse office windows. Fortunately the moon was out, and Danny could clearly see the steel security fence that surrounded the large warehouse. It was new, replaced recently in contrast to the graffiti tagged building it surrounded. And from the angle of the barb wire on top Danny would have suspected it was intended more at keeping people in that from intruding.

There didn't seem to be anyone walking around outside so the dark haired boy took the opportunity to survey the fence, trailing his fingers along the moonlit wire. 1024 Hayworth, the warehouse on the corner of Hayworth and fifth, was particularly run down and Danny would have thought it abandoned if not for the few lights escaping the worn building. Silent as a shadow he moved around the perimeter, somewhat surprised at just how difficult it was to get past a fence... idly he wondered if that was something all humans really had to struggle with.

Eventually he found a weak point; someone had left some of the unused fence panels lying on the ground. With a bit of effort he managed to manoeuvre one into place so that it formed a ramp of sorts, with a bit of a run-up he could clear the barbs to break in. Two minutes later and he was clear of the fence, making his way towards the building. He slipped through a back door, the wooden doorframe having decayed to the point that he could simply push it open.

He froze instantly when he saw the inside of the warehouse. Sitting in the middle of the room was a cage made of steel fencing and scientific equipment. Two walls blacked out his vision of the whole inside of the cage, but the wires that hung down from the wall reminded him fiercely of the back panel of his parents' now destroyed Fentonworks Anti-Creep Mode control centre. A worried frown made its way onto his face as he skirted around the outside of the room, ducking behind a couple of wooden crates for cover.

He edged his head above the top, the better angle allowing him to see into the cage fully. His eyes widened as they fixed on the object in the centre of the cage; strapped to the centre of the table was Lex Luthor bound down and laid bare like a lab rat. Electrical diodes were strapped to his head and chest, and his arms and legs were bound in place with steel manacles. Danny's mind blanked, lost in a time long gone and on emotions no human could hope to comprehend.

"_Subject 9.0046, be silent!" A man in a white suit demanded, pulling out a small ecto-gun and quickly firing it at his shoulder. Phantom fought back the urge to scream as the gun antagonised his already burned flesh. Then came a whisper of cold as his white cloak, one of the few reminders he had left of Sam, was stolen away._

"_Agent M, Researchers B and G present for primary examination of Entity 9.0046, commonly identified as 'Phantom'" The white suit said to the air. Phantom was left trembling as fear ensnared his mind, the cold lab table pressing against his spine. _

"_9.0046 exhibits close mimicry of 'human' anxiety." One of the researchers stated, cold eyes scorching into Phantom's memory. _

"_Subject has been restrained, begin proceedings." The agent instructed. And then there was agony, blood oozing and silent screams as his chest was carved in a clinical 'Y' shape._

Danny found himself panting heavily, lost in Phantom's recollections. But he couldn't focus on that, Phantom was gone and he wasn't coming back, and all that was left was Fenton. So anything that had happened to Phantom shouldn't matter... except it did. And without his powers, without his _obsession_ to ground him he felt lost.

"Looking for Lex?" A cruel voice called from above him, and Danny found himself staring at the barrel of a gun.

_Staring at the nozzle of a red-lit ecto-gun a blast of red soaring towards Phantom before slamming into his chest._

Danny felt sweaty hands clasp around his shoulders as he was wrenched up.

_Screaming in pain as Phantom was forced against a wall, his flesh searing as metal manacles clasp around his wrists to pull him standing upright._

Danny was dragged forwards, unseeing as his conscious slipped between then and now.

_Phantom shivered as latex covered hands wrenched him from the wall, pulling him towards the lab table before forcing him down onto the unrelenting metal._

"Danny!? What is he doing here?" A familiar voice demanded, and the part of him that was in the present recognised the voice as Lex's.

"Well, Lex, it looks like the rescue party isn't as compelling as you thought it would be." The cruel voice mocked, and Danny stumbled as his body was shoved forwards.

"Let him go, you don't need him!" Lex shouted, almost desperately. _'Who'd be desperate to save him?'_

"See, that's not quite true." The cruel man retorted. "Because now that we have your serum, we're gonna need somebody to use it on. And, uh... I'd say your little friend here is as good a guinea pig as anyone, wouldn't you?" Danny's eyes fixed on a syringe, crystal blue liquid bubbled inside the tube.

_Something pulling inside his veins, Phantom squirming as a vial filled with viscous green, his ectoplasm. _

"Now, in case this stuff really does turn you into some kind of superkid," The cruel voice was foggy, lost somewhere between the then and now "just remember there's a gun pointed at your friend's head the whole time." Something strange touched to his skin, liquid pooling against Danny's neck as he struggled to regain any sense of what was happening.

"Wait!" Lex's voice called, and the liquid tip pulled away. "It won't work on him. The serum was tailored for my blood chemistry."

"Well, then I guess it's time to wake the sleeping dragon, huh?" The cruel man's voice smirked. Danny's eyes traced the syringe as it moved towards Lex. His vision sharpened as the needle tip pressed against Lex's neck and then the world shifted.

Lex was in trouble, his _friend_ was in danger. Danny had no idea what the stuff in the syringe would do, but there was no way it could be good. The fog he'd been under for weeks cleared, and for one brief moment it didn't matter that Phantom was gone. All that mattered was the fact that Lex was in danger and he could help.

Danny lunged forward, kicking the syringe out of the cruel man's hand before delivering a swift elbow to his temple. The man dropped unconscious to the ground, and Danny quickly managed to force the man's gun out of his hands. He felt something brush against his shoulder, spinning around quickly and knocking a second black clad man to the ground. Given the similarity in their outfits they had to be working together. There was an electrical sounding spark and the sound of smashing glass, but Danny only had eyes for Lex. He fumbled slightly with the pin, managing to unlock the bolt and free Lex's wrists.

Lex wrenched his hands free, stumbling slightly as numb legs struggled to work. There was a roaring sound behind them, and Danny whirled around to see flames leap up from the electrical panel board. The spilling chemicals only spurred the flames on, sending them soaring up to the roof. The second man stood up, eyes wide and fearful as he dragged his companion out the exit. Danny made to follow, but was forcefully dragged backwards by trembling arms just in time for a support beam to fall just where he'd been standing.

"Thanks." Danny murmured, meeting Lex briefly in the eyes.

"Dunno that it helps much, that blocked off the only exit." The man retorted, rubbing his arms in pain. "See if you can find anything to cut the fence."

Danny nodded absently, surveying the scene. The support beam had fallen at a low angle before igniting in a raging inferno that flared right up to the ceiling which completely blocked off the only exit point. What was worse, the fence extended above them, making a complete wire cage above them so they couldn't clime out either. The flames were quickly licking towards them, and if they didn't find a way out soon then they'd both be burned alive.

Lex was ramming a fire extinguisher against the back wall of the cage, desperation clear on his face as he tried to loosen the wire. Danny jumped beside him, catching his arm and pulling the extinguisher out of his arms. Raising an eyebrow at the man Danny pulled the pin and turned the extinguisher on the flames that burned over the support beam.

"Chemical extinguisher." Danny pointed out as the flames died down. If they were quick they could escape before they burned up again. "C'mon." Danny instructed, pulling Lex towards the exit. They quickly jumped over the still overheated support beam before running towards the open warehouse doors. Danny cast the extinguisher aside, panting heavily as he stared up into the moonlit sky.

"Thanks." Lex said, looking down at him with a strange look in his eye. "I will admit, of all the people to come to my rescue, I wouldn't have expected you."

Danny cocked his head to the side, the strange confusion settling in once again. Danny wasn't a hero, not anymore. Phantom was the one who kept people safe, _protected_ them. But Lex was safe now and it was Fenton who did it. Slightly scorched, and he could feel the stinging ache now that meant he'd gotten burned in there. But he'd done it. He'd saved Lex. And it wasn't his obsession that saved him.

Danny smiled softly, not really hearing as Lex spoke to him, not really seeing as a black car arrived, not really feeling as some of Lex's men checked him over. Once more his mind was fogging over, dazed confusion wrought by a demanding clarity that just begged for him to acknowledge it. But it was impossible, and he still wasn't sure how to handle it. He was a halfa turned human, and he didn't know what that meant.

"_In this world everyone has a choice." _A long forgotten memory whispered; the sound of his uncle's voice was comforting as they spoke on a warm summer's night in the barn loft._ "You may be more drawn to protecting people, but what makes a person a hero is the reason that they do it._

_-/-_

Chloe Sullivan sighed as she walked up the steps to the barn loft. Martha Kent had called her this morning asking if she knew anything about what had happened last night. Completely confused she had asked for more details and found out that apparently Danny had gone into Metropolis last night and saved Lex from the people who had abducted him. It was nearly one in the morning when apparently Lex's black limo had pulled up, dropping the boy off and saying that his burns had been treated, but he seemed to be suffering from shock.

Chloe was honestly surprised at the news. In the last fortnight she could count the number of times she'd seen the young raven-haired boy on one hand and still have four fingers left over. He'd been more worried about chores then and hadn't had time to talk. She still didn't know exactly where they stood, what with her kissing him in the heat of the moment before he went off to save the world, and then him being _dead_ and then him coming back after being rescued from a crater in Australia of all places. He'd eventually confessed that somewhere in the trip to the Phantom Zone – and wasn't that a weird name? – that he'd lost his ghost powers. Chloe had figured he'd need a bit of space to deal with that, after all when Clark had lost his powers he'd bounced right back up.

So it was shocking for her to hear how badly her friend seemed to be coping.

Chloe paused at the top of the stairs, taking in the almost heartbreaking picture that the blue eyed boy made. He was sitting on one of the worn old sofas; the afternoon sun rippling through his hair and making his porcelain skin seem almost iridescent. His head was bowed slightly his shoulders hunched, looking perfectly broken. His hands absently brushed a blanket of white that pooled over his legs, and it took a moment for Chloe to place it as Phantom's signature white cloak. Sitting there, Danny looked the faultless image of a fallen angel, mourning the loss of his wings.

Perhaps that wasn't such a bad comparison.

Chloe took a tentative seat beside him, rubbing her hand supportively on his knee. Danny didn't seem to notice. "Hey." She heard herself say, but found no recognition in the boy's eyes. "Lois is here too. She wanted to feed Clark some of her famous cold remedy, but Martha vetoed that when she found out that the cayenne pepper makes you sneeze." She was rambling, she knew, but it filled the silence.

"That's Phantom's cloak, isn't it?" She probed gently, hoping to bring Danny out of his reverie.

"It's Sam." Danny replied. Chloe hummed invitingly in response.

"Sam designed this." Danny continued. "It was... it was a brilliant couple of days. We went to Aragon, the kingdom, not the ghost, and then Sam and Dora redesigned my whole costume. Dora came up with pretty much everything, but the cloak, Sam went off on her own and she commissioned it. She was missing for hours and I was frantic, but then she was back and there it was, and it just... it was perfect. _She_ was perfect."

Chloe frowned, unsure how to respond. Usually Danny was so strong and speaking with him seemed like she was talking with this world-wise grown man, completely self assured and confident of his place in the world. But at the moment Danny looked so very _young_. And Chloe could see the raw vulnerability that was usually hidden away. Jagged mental scars left behind from traumatic experiences and the loss of his entire support network the year before.

She squeezed his knee, offering the only comfort she could. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

The silence stretched, and Chloe didn't know if she expected a response. Maybe it didn't matter. Whatever else he was, Danny had become her friend and he needed help. She knew he'd gone off and rescued Lex the night before, but she didn't know the exact circumstances. And she knew that he was still struggling with having lost his ghost powers. Her heart ached for him, knowing that there was so much she couldn't hope to understand about what he'd gone through. As the sun sunk lower in the sky she knew that all she could really do was be there for him now, and hope that Danny would let her help him.

"I thought it was just... shock lag. Or something." Danny murmured, breaking the silence. His voice was so small that Chloe nearly missed it. "But it's not. _Hecate,_ it's not."

Chloe nodded, rubbing his back lightly although she doubted he even noticed it.

"I thought I could handle it, you know?" Danny shrugged. "That it'd be okay. You win some, you lose some. And I thought I could make do."

"But..." Chloe urged gently.

"But I _can't_." Danny replied, his voice almost cracking as he tried to hold back his emotions. "Three years, nearly, and it's always been there. It's all I've known and it's all I've needed to. It was all that mattered because it helped me go on and I _needed_ it. When everyone... when they all died, when _Sam_ died... it was what kept me going because if nothing else I still had that. And now it's _gone_." His voice broke off abruptly as the dark haired boy buried his face in his hands.

"I'm a ghost. I'm not human because humans don't work that way. I'm a ghost. But I always thought I was human too... so it shouldn't matter that it's gone. So why does it? That's what I don't understand. Because right now I feel more like a ghost than I ever have since I first stepped into that stupid portal. It's... missing, and I know that it's missing. I thought it'd fade with time, but it just gets worse and I don't know how to stop it."

Chloe continued rubbing small circles into his tense back. The green gem on his cloak seemed to glimmer in the fading light. Absently she nodded, starting to understand how he was feeling. Not entirely, she knew it would probably take a ghost to empathise fully with what he was trying to say. But as a girl whose mom had left her before she even left primary school she understood what that loss and that fear felt like from a purely human angle.

"Danny." She interrupted and her mind drifted back to a very different day, a very different Danny. Danny Phantom had held her hand as he showed her the Metropolis that only Phantom could see. He'd then shown her the remains of his childhood home, and the device that had given him the power to become the hero that he was. But what had really stood out to her wasn't what he'd shown him or what he'd done. No. It was what he'd said to her the very next day, sitting in this same barn loft while she struggled to understand.

"_Chloe," _He'd said, looking her in the eye._ "You've met me as Fenton, and you've met me as Phantom. It doesn't matter to me which form I'm in." _The boy had paused, huffing as he blew his hair out of his eyes._ "Look, maybe that wasn't the best place to start." _Danny had then shaken his head slightly before holding out his hand._ "Hello Chloe Sullivan, I'm _Danny_."_

That was the important distinction. That was what he seemed to have forgotten. Here Danny was, telling her that he was a ghost when the thing that really _gave_ him his ghost powers, the thing that she knew had let him survive the accident in the portal, it had been with him all along.

"You've probably heard it before," Chloe said, looking him squarely in the eyes and hoping he understood. "Hell, I know you've given Clark the exact same lecture. Your powers aren't what made you a hero, it's your heart. I don't know anyone who could do so much and sacrifice so much as you have for all of us. And it wasn't because of your ghost powers; it's because of who you are. And I know you don't think so, but I really need you to listen to me when I say this. Because Danny, it never mattered whether you were Danny Fenton or Danny Phantom, it was only ever the _Danny_ part that mattered."

Danny blinked, a look of dawning comprehension pooling into his crystal blue eyes. He looked curiously at Chloe, studying her as though she was some puzzle that he couldn't find the answer to. His hand hovered over the green gem of his cloak clasp, never quite touching. And Chloe found herself suddenly pulled into a tight hug, Danny quietly murmuring his thanks before once more pulling back.

"Thanks for reminding me, Chlo'" The raven haired boy said, blue eyes shimmering. It wasn't quite his usual glimmer, but it was getting there. Chloe watched as Danny drifted off, the white cloak held lightly between his arms. He needed like he needed the chance to think alone, and Chloe knew better than to interrupt that. Hopefully now he'd focus on what he had left rather than dwelling on what he'd lost.

"You know you're a miracle worker Chloe." A slightly deeper voice spoke up, and Chloe jumped slightly as she saw Clark climbing up the stairs. He looked peaky, and it was clear that his cold was still getting the better of him.

"I never thought I'd utter these words, but you don't look so hot." Chloe commented, looking worriedly across at her old friend.

"I don't feel so hot." He replied, sending her a tired smirk. "But with Lois commandeering the kitchen I decided to take my chances out here."

"Then take a seat." Chloe instructed, gesturing to the sofa beside her. "Calm down. But if you feel even the slightest inkling of a sneeze, you cover your face and ziplock it shut, okay?"

Clark just smiled. "I meant it, you know." The young man reiterated. "I've been trying for weeks to break Danny out of that funk. Ten minutes with you and he cracks the first honest smile I've seen since his graduation."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yeah well I'm still not sure I like being relegated to the Kent Emergency support line."

"But you do it so well." Clark teased. Chloe mock scowled at her old friend, giving him a light shove in the arm.

"Lana came over last night. She was with Lex when he dropped Danny off." Clark commented after a while.

"So you know about their new domestic partnership." Chloe noted, offering her friend a supportive smile.

Clark shrugged. "I guess. It's like we don't even know each other anymore." The dark haired man shook his head, forcefully distancing himself from that conversation. "But I've been thinking, something about this whole situation doesn't add up."

"Lex gets abducted by unmarked ex-military people, what isn't wrong with that." Chloe remarked sardonically, glad for the distraction. She didn't feel like walking the Clark/Lana minefield just at the moment.

"Exactly." Clark replied, rubbing his face tiredly. "I overheard some of what Lex said when he dropped Danny off, enough to know that whoever it was that took Lex, they were hired to do it."

"You want me to look into it?" Chloe asked, looking up to meet Clark's weary blue eyes.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, 'cos whoever it is, they were asking all the wrong sort of questions about what happened to Lex on Dark Thursday."

Chloe frowned, looking sadly at her friend. Clark looked really sick, dark circles gathered beneath his eyes and his skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. "When you escaped from the Kryptonian land of the lost, I bet you didn't think that you'd be rewarded by having to go looking for Lex's abductors while battling a raging head cold, huh?"

"Not exactly the goodbye gift I was expecting, no." Clark remarked.

Chloe nodded in sympathy. "I guess heroes don't get sick days."

"They also don't put the world in jeopardy on an annual basis." Clark sighed, looking so profusely tired. "I'm no hero, Chloe."

Chloe pressed her lips together refusing to comment. Because for all that Clark felt guilty, for all that Danny felt lost; the truth was that they kept going. It was the same, Chloe imagined, for anyone like them. For anyone who took up the mantle of being a hero. No matter what, their own personal concerns always came second. Because for them it really wasn't about the powers that separated them from everyone else, instead it was the paths they chose to walk, the great strength in their heart.

For people like Danny and Clark it was their great courage and compassion that defined them. And despite the heavy burdens they had shouldered, and despite the darkness that seemed to surround them all, Chloe couldn't help but feel that they were on the cusp of a new age.

And she felt both awed and humbled by the fact that she was able to stand beside them.

* * *

AN: Well, here's chapter one, I hope you enjoyed. I know Clark wasn't very involved, but everybody needs a sick day now and then. Don't worry though; next chapter will deal more with what he's been up to.

This chapter was necessarily angsty. Danny has been not dealing, at all, and problems that some people pointed out last season (relying on his obsession) are finally coming to light. The flashbacks that Danny has are from JAMF chapter 24, 'Chained' and briefly chapter 3 'Clarity' if you want the context for that.

The rest of the season shouldn't be quite so angst ridden, although it will likely be darker and have higher stakes than we saw in JAMF. Danny must face challenges which will define him as king of the Ghost Zone, and Clark must take the steps towards becoming Superman. It's all coming together now, and I hope you all enjoy the ride.

I wanted also to say thanks so much for all the positive feedback so far, I'll get to responding just as soon as my exams are over. Thankyou dearly.

For now I'll sign off,

Adieu,

~Bluerose


	3. Beguilement

Chapter 2

Beguilement

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

Clark grinned as he got out of bed; the sun was shining through the window, he could smell the scent of cooking pancakes wafting up the stairs, and most importantly the last remnants of his cold were finally gone. That was one human experience that he could have done without; the sneezing had been bad enough, but the constant feeling of gunk dripping down his nose and his throat had made it intolerable. But it was gone now, and that in itself put him in a good mood. He pulled on a clean shirt and a pair of jeans before heading down the stairs.

"Morning mom, Danny" Clark greeted as he jumped off the bottom step, seeing his mom sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and surprisingly Danny, who was at the stovetop flipping over a pancake. Whatever Chloe and he had spoken about, it seemed to have snapped his cousin out of his funk.

"Good Morning Clark." His mom replied, offering him a small smile. The look in her eyes told him that she was just as stunned as him that Danny was up to cooking for them. He knew that it would take time for the younger man to fully recover, but at least now he seemed to be on that path.

"Morning" Danny answered absently, his attention fixed on the pancake batter.

Clark walked over to the table, helping himself to a steaming cup of coffee as his mom picked up the morning issue of the Daily Planet. It was the first time in three weeks that something other than the aftermath of Dark Thursday was on the front cover, and Clark felt relieved for it. It was far from absolving his guilt, but it emphasised the fact that if nothing else, people would recover and move on. A soft smile played on Clark's lips as he relaxed back into his chair, glancing over to the growing stack of pancakes by Danny's elbow as the boy finished cooking.

"Is that the invitation for the ball?" Clark asked, noticing a small white envelope on the table. Lex had arranged a costume ball, the proceeds of which would go towards supporting those most impacted by Dark Thursday. Most of Metropolis's elite were going to be there, and, while the Kent family was not in a position to offer financial support, the fact that his mom , being a senator, was going to be there would encourage a larger turnout simply to garner her support.

His mom hummed. "I just RSVP'd." She answered. "I hope Lex gets a good turnout."

Clark frowned, not really wanting to think about Lex at the moment. "I can't imagine anyone from Metropolis's 'who's who' list not showing up to help the families affected by Dark Thursday." He pointed out.

His mom nodded absently. "You know, I, uh… I responded for two."

Clark raised an eyebrow. He really didn't want to think about Lex, so the possibility of actually seeing him so soon after Lana had moved in with him left him feeling a little ill. "Thanks, mom, but costumes really aren't my thing. Besides, it's not really the place for a reunion, you know?"

His mom sighed, setting the newspaper aside and looking sadly at him. "How do you feel about the two of them together?"

Clark shrugged, glancing over to Danny who was very pointedly not paying attention to the conversation. "I don't know." Clark murmured. "It's like they're different people."

His mom offered him a sympathetic smile, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "We all have our own ways of moving on, whether it's about growing up or just surviving."

"I smell pancakes!" A loud and obnoxiously familiar voice called from the front door, signalling the arrival of Lois Lane. Clark was grateful for the interruption; he didn't want to have to think about it anymore than he had to.

"You should take Danny.' Clark offered as his mom stood up and walked down the hallway to get the door.

"I'm going where with who now?" Danny asked distractedly.

"The Dark Thursday benefit." Clark answered, but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Morning Mrs K. Hope you don't mind me stopping by a little early." Lois's voice bounced down the hall.

"Not a problem, Lois. Come on in." His mom answered. "Chloe, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Hey, Mrs Kent." The blonde's soft voice replied, and Clark wondered if he was imagining the small smile that crossed his cousin's lips at the sound.

Clark shook his head, fixing his gaze into his coffee cup as Chloe and Lois took a seat at the table. Whatever there was going on between Chloe and Danny was their business, at least for now. And he was not about to bring up anything that risked hurting his cousin again. Instead he picked up the plate of pancakes and offered them around the table, picking up two for himself before getting stuck into a conversation with Chloe about her latest article in the Planet.

Breakfast passed quickly, taken up by light conversation and pleasant food. Soon enough both his mom and Lois left, talking about how to prioritise recovery for some of the orphanages impacted by Dark Thursday. And as soon as the dishes were done Danny disappeared off outside to work in the barn.

Clark and Chloe were left sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the noise to die down. "Did you find anything?" Clark asked, looking his old friend in the eye.

Chloe pursed her lips, sliding her laptop out of her bag. "Not anything useful." She replied after a minute. "Turns out that 1024 Hayworth was recently leased by Neque Security Services, but I wasn't able to trace anything more than that. It's weird, the company looks like it should be a subsidiary of a parent corporation, but I can't find anything."

"Meaning?" Clark puzzled.

"Meaning that I've looked up every database I can access, and Neque by all rights shouldn't exist." Chloe answered, clearly irritated at the lack of results.

"So we have no idea who these people are working for." Clark inferred.

Chloe shook her head, looking away from the screen. "In normal circumstances I'd have suggested LuthorCorp, but I can't see daddy Luthor kidnapping Lex just for kicks."

"VladCo?" Clark prompted after a moment of consideration.

"You think Vlad Masters is involved in this?" Chloe pressed, her eyes creased in concern.

"Given his history with Danny it wouldn't surprise me." Clark answered.

Chloe frowned. "He might have a history with Danny, but somehow I don't think kidnapping Lex like that is his MO."

Clark felt himself frowning. "It could be." He mused. "The last time Danny and he met up, Danny stripped him of his ghost powers."

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that Vlad Masters, CEO of VladCo and DALV industries has ghost powers?" Chloe demanded. "Why didn't Danny tell me?"

"Had ghost powers." Clark emphasised. "And that's probably why. Vlad used to be half-ghost, which, according to Danny was different to being a halfa – don't ask me how, I don't understand the difference – but the last time they met, Danny took away his powers because he was abusing them."

Even now, so many months later Clark still remembered that day in vivid clarity. His cousin had been practically defeated, and it was only the imminent threat of both Ember and Clark himself dying that had brought him around. Danny had morphed into his completely white suited, silver eyed form, looking like an avenging angel as he stared at his nemesis. _"You're the man who should have been"_ Danny had said. _"I'm giving you a second chance, I'm giving you something that I can never have back. You are human, and I'm giving you a chance to be human again."_ Clark heard himself murmuring the words aloud, his mind whirring in possibilities.

"What if it wasn't about Danny?" Clark asked, looking at his blonde haired friend. "What if he somehow found out about Lex's powers and wanted them for himself. He had his ghost powers for twenty years before Danny; I can't imagine he would just accept losing them."

"But how could he have known?" Chloe asked. "Satellites, radio, CCTV; everything was down that day. The only pictures taken are coming in from old film cameras. Unless Vlad was actually here, there's no way he could have known that Lex even had powers."

Clark shook his head tiredly. "But Chloe, if it wasn't Lionel and it wasn't Lex then who was it?"

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. Who else is there that has a grudge against Luthor Junior and enough resources to hire and outfit a warehouse as a high tech research lab?"

-/-

Oliver Queen viewed himself as a survivor. Two years spent trapped on an island with nothing but his bow and arrows had forged him into the man he was today. As a child he'd been entitled, pious, and more than a little self-righteous. He'd been so certain in his wealth and the naive idealisation of his parents that he'd been blind to the true world. When they'd died he'd been left alone, and he'd gotten caught up in the billionaire's lifestyle of late night parties, endless women and meaningless relationships. He'd throw away more than most earned in a year on a weekend, and still think of himself as somehow better than the masses. In a way his two year isolation on that forsaken island had been a good thing, it had given him a chance to stop and look at himself seriously.

He'd returned to civilisation a changed man. Now he took things more seriously, and had revolutionised his parents company into a multi-national organisation dedicated to furthering mankind. Queen Industries was now a figurehead for humanitarian work in the corporate sector, and that wasn't to speak of his other occupation. Yes, being on the Island had changed his worldview entirely; he was no longer the spoiled rich-kid who'd graduated Excelsior Academy five years ago. Instead he looked at the world with new eyes, saw the devastation prominent on all levels of society and saw that it was something he could change.

His decision to move to Metropolis was largely due to the most recent activity of his schoolyard rival Lex Luthor. He had been willing to turn a blind eye at first, and admittedly he had been trying very hard to forget the man over the last five years. However, seeing a video of Lex flicking bullets away like flies just didn't sit right with him; especially considering the fact that Lex had then proceeded to infiltrate the Pentagon. Lex could claim amnesia till he was blue in the face, but Oliver wasn't going to believe it. And his newly awakened civil justice bound character wouldn't abide the thought of apparent super-powers in the hands of Lex Luthor.

So here he was, cruising through corn fields at eighty miles per in his Mercedes SL on his way out to Smallville. He'd been brought out today by the potential to talk with the newly elected state senator, but being out this way was a nice excursion from the crowded city streets. Martha Kent was interesting, as far as politicians went. She was still new enough to the game not to be jaded, and while she was more than qualified for the job, she still lacked the political sway to make her worth corrupting. In other words she was still in the golden period where the senator could affect real beneficial change in Kansas if only she was given the means to do so. That was his purpose today, to properly test the waters and see if the new senator was worth offering his financial support for her latest platform.

He pulled into a long driveway, smiling absently at the rustic charm. The gate was marked by a worn wooden arch, the words 'KENT FARM' hanging proudly off a swinging sign. He could see a big red barn and some stables, and as he switched off the engine he could hear the half familiar sounds of someone spot welding from inside the barn.

Oliver slid easily out of the car, running a hand through his hair as he walked up the few steps to the house. It was a sweet little home, soft yellow walls and a whitewash fence. It looked like a wonderful place to raise a family, completely different to the sterile luxury he'd been raised with. The smile was still on his face as he knocked on the door and waited the short minute it took for someone to appear.

The young woman who pulled the door open was beautiful, soft brown curls and warm eyes. Oliver half recognised her from some of the more recent pictures of Senator Kent. "Hey." The woman said, giving him a puzzled look.

Oliver shot back a roguish smile, "Hi." He offered, dipping his hand into his jacket pocket. The paper envelope was crisp between his fingers, marked with the Queen Industries emblem.

The young woman's eyes widened in understanding as they fixed on the embossed emblem. "Queen Industries." She commented. "Must have caught a strong headwind. Mrs. Kent's been waiting for this for weeks. Thanks."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her blasé, almost dismissive attitude. "You're welcome." He replied, allowing a little of his bewilderment to come across. He had anticipated meeting with Senator Kent, but her assistant seemed quite intent at leaving him standing at the door.

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry." The woman almost blushed as she looked in his eyes. "Just so you know, with a face like that, you can do a whole lot better than playing errand boy to the rich and arrogant." She fidgeted, digging her hand into her jeans pocket before pulling out a little green bill. "Here."

Oliver blinked, looking confusedly between the blustering young woman and the green paper she'd foisted into his fingers. "Thank you very much." He said, completely baffled. "What is, uh…"

"It's a tip." The woman encouraged, and Oliver got the very distinct impression that the brunette had absolutely no idea who she was talking to.

It was refreshing.

"A tip?" He replied, slightly bemused as he searched her eyes. "Oh… Okay."

"Seriously." The brunette added, looking him up and down. "Aim higher."

Oliver shook his head as the young woman closed the door, looking back bemusedly over his shoulder as he made his way back to the car.

"Sweet ride." A young voice commented, stepping out of the barn. He was young, probably around seventeen, and had an almost familiar gait to his step; likely trained in some form of martial art. Oliver recognized the boy vaguely from Jonathan Kent's electoral campaign. The raven haired boy had been in a couple of pictures, but admittedly he had other concerns at the time than getting to know the family of a senate candidate.

"It's not bad." Oliver replied, nodding at the boy.

The boy smiled, rubbing his hands clean with a rag. "Mercedes SL 63 AMG roadster, 2004 make." The boy commented appreciatively. "Closest thing to that around here parks in the Luthor Mansion. How's she drive?"

"Like a dream." Oliver found himself answering. "Only problem I've found is that she would quite happily go another twenty miles over the speed limit if I let her."

The boy laughed. "I can imagine." Oliver smiled in return, despite the abrupt nature of the brunette inside the house; there was something open about the young boy. Or it might just be that he appreciated a nice car.

"Was that your sister back there?" Oliver asked, gesturing to the house.

"Sister…" The boy repeated, a strange almost hurt expression crossing his eyes. But it was hidden so quickly Oliver almost missed it. "Wait, brown hair, pushy and suffering an intense case of foot in mouth syndrome?"

Oliver nodded in accordance.

"Lois Lane." The boy said, as though it explained everything. "She works with Aunt Martha as an assistant, although if you called her a PA you won't walk away with all your limbs intact. Wait, she didn't say something to offend you, did she?"

"Not really." Oliver replied. Actually there was something about the young brunette that quite intrigued him.

"Oliver Queen." He introduced, offering his hand to the young boy.

"Ah," the boy replied, a smile playing onto his lips, the sadness in his eyes quickly hidden away. "Danny Fenton." He answered, shaking his hand firmly.

"Fenton…" he paused musingly. "Now why does that name ring a bell."

Some of the light faded from the boy's eyes, the smile losing just a bit of warmth. "Fentonworks, most likely." He answered. "Back in 2001 Queen Industries funded a prominent research grant to Maddie and Jack Fenton for their works in revolutionizing household appliances."

Oliver immediately made the mental connections. Fentonworks had once been one of many privatised subsidiaries that Queen Industries supported, although the main focus of the smaller company wasn't quite what the Queen name looked for. However it had been little more than a year since the two co-owners had died, leaving only their son as heir. By all reports it was a similar situation to the one Oliver had found himself in. The Fenton legacy was nowhere near as prominent as the Queen one, but by all reports this young man could live a long while off the money in his trust fund.

Oliver bowed his head in acknowledgement. He knew only too well how hollow the words 'I'm sorry' rang after a while. It had been seventeen years since his parents' deaths, and all his life all he'd ever known was condolences from strangers who'd never known his parents for more than the Queen name.

"I promise you, give her till day's end and Lois will be chasing you up to say sorry."

Oliver looked at the boy askance.

"Oliver Queen," The boy supplied, emphasizing the title. "CEO of Queen Industries and the man Aunt Martha's been talking about all week because of your pledge and her platform. Knowing Lois, she made some social faux pas because, honestly, who expects billionaires to come out to the boondocks of Kansas? As soon as she realizes she'll be up in arms to make it up to you."

"I'll take that bet." Oliver replied, looking at the young boy. Danny smiled back, a playful spark flickering into his eyes as he stepped back from the car. Oliver smirked, sliding over the door and into the driver's seat. He slid on his sunglasses as he pulled away, smiling into the rearview mirror at the young boy. There was something half familiar in his attitude that resounded with the young billionaire. There was darkness in the boy's eyes that bespoke survivorship and loss. He was intrigued, although he was equally curious about Lois Lane.

Oliver Queen defined himself as a survivor. For the most part his philosophy in life was that the ends justify the means. His time on the Island had taught him many things, and his return to western civilization had given him to use what he had learned. He was not a master manipulator like the Luthor's were; more the take action, do what he thought was right and damn the consequences kind of guy. He was more than the spoiled playboy brat he'd been all those years ago, but it was an image that suited his ends so very well. And, really, he didn't mind the thrill of a good chase here and there.

Who knew, perhaps he wouldn't need to go to the Dark Thursday benefit solo after all.

-/-

Lana scowled as she strode through the mansion. Part of her wondered if it was really worth it. She'd only been living in the place for a few scant days and already it was one problem after another. She was glad, of course, that Lex was back safe and sound from being kidnapped. Yet, the fact that he had invaded her privacy – had installed security cameras in her bedroom – stirred a level of unease in her. Lex had said that they'd since been removed, but a mistrusting part of her doubted the whole truth of that claim.

Now she felt herself suffering a different sort of invasion, and as she stalked towards Lex's office she couldn't help but wonder where they were going if this was how they started out. Shaking her head clear she pushed the doors open; with Lex it wouldn't help if she came in half cocked and uncertain.

However the scene that greeted her when she opened the doors made her pause. Lex was chatting on the phone, stooped over a desk of papers. And standing in front of him was a young woman, all dark hair and caramel skin. The woman seemed to be bustling around a clothes rack, and it took Lana a minute to process the fact that those clothes were all costumes.

"What's all this?" Lana found herself asking, immediately catching the attention of the two other people in the room.

"My God," The woman said, coming uncomfortably close. "Your complexion is even more radiant than in the magazines." Lana took a step back, but the back of the woman's fingers brushed against her cheek regardless of her discomfort.

"This is Monica." Lex explained, gesturing to the woman. "She's helping us pick out the costumes for the charity ball. She can help you put something together."

Lana raised both eyebrows, knowing she failed to completely hide her distaste at the idea. She managed to smile at Monica, barely. "Um, well, thank you for coming, but I think I can dress myself."

Lex frowned, something akin to confusion crossing his face. "Oh, come on, Lana. I thought you'd have fun becoming anyone you wanted."

Lana scowled, turning her darkened gaze towards him. She was feeling a bit frayed at the moment, and Monica was just pushing things a bit too far. "Well, I can tell you what I'm not..." Lana commented, meeting Lex's gaze coolly. "The next 'Lex girl.'"

Lex had the decency to look abashed, and quickly dismissed Monica. Lana was just glad he'd taken the hint.

"You saw this morning's paper." Lex realized. "Look, Lana, I was raised in front of the cameras."

Lana knew that, she had expected it. But she hadn't expected it to be her face that was printed in the gossip pages next to Lex's. Something in her face must have told her continued stress.

"I know it can be hurtful." Lex continued. "When I was thirteen, a reporter caught me between classes at boarding school. He asked me how I felt about my mother's death. A mic shoved in my face in front of classmates I couldn't stand… that's how I found out she died. The press will tear us apart if we let them." Lana found her face twitching in sympathy, and she knew deep down what Lex was trying to say.

But it wasn't enough to stay the hurt from seeing her own name dragged through the tabloids. "Well, they're right about the revolving door of women you've had."

"Maybe." Lex admitted. "But I've never asked any of them to move in with me."

Lana frowned, choosing not to point out the blaring exceptions to that statement. "Lex, I know you." She commented, meeting him firmly in the eyes. "You desire what you can't have. So, what happens when you get it?"

Lex offered her a half smile. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't struggle against my nature every day to let myself have this with you."

Lana raised a sceptical eyebrow. "And I'm fighting mine to believe you."

Lex frowned, looking exasperated. "Lana, I've given you time. I've given you space. But you still don't know what you want."

"And you do?" She demanded.

"I want us to stop pretending we're only roommates." Lex replied, and she could see he was being honest. But she… she wasn't ready for anything like that, and already she could feel her defenses slipping up.

"Lex, I just need to be sure." She heard herself say, not able to put it into words. How could she, how could she risk trusting him when everyone else pulled away or betrayed her. Whitney, Adam, Jason… Clark. She couldn't handle another heartbreak. She wasn't strong enough, and maybe she was becoming too jaded to even try. "I always trust people too much."

"No," Lex replied firmly. Coldly. "You trusted Clark too much. Now, you can always come up with excuses why this won't work, but you have to decide. You can either fight with Clark's ghost or you can be with me. I'm done paying for his mistakes."

And then he was gone, striding out of the office and leaving her alone. And Lana… she didn't know what to think. She needed time, she needed to think. But all she could think of was Clark's face as he cast her aside.

'I'll always love you' Clark's memory whispered. And Lana felt her heart break all over again as she lost herself n memory. 'The truth is... my feelings for you have changed.' And Lana could only remember how she'd crumbled, how she'd broken. How she'd been falling apart until Lex came along and helped her pick up the pieces.

And maybe that was the problem. Her heart had been broken too often, too completely that she didn't know anymore. Maybe there was something missing, maybe it was something that she could never fix. It was too much, too fast, and she didn't know anymore. But if she didn't take the risk, if she didn't trust Lex then who else was there?

Lana sighed, her fingers trailing absently against the abandoned costume rack. She just didn't know anymore, she didn't know what was real and what was hidden behind a mask. And maybe she was just tired. She didn't want to pretend to be someone else anymore, she'd tried that and all it brought was pain. But even now she didn't know, just who she really was behind her own masks. Was she the girl who spent forever regretting losing the one guy who had ever made her feel completely loved, or was she the woman who went out on her own and paved her own way through life? Who was she, really, deep inside herself?

Who did Lana Lang really want to be?

-/-

"So let me get this straight." Chloe's voice cut through the copy room of the Daily Planet. "You were walking around upstairs and just happened across a story like that."

Jimmy Olsen nodded profusely. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"And they're seriously planning on running it?" Chloe pressed, belying her complete bewilderment.

"Yep," Jimmy replied. "They thought the morning after the benefit would be the perfect day to run the story."

"Why?" Chloe asked, more to herself than anything else.

Jimmy shrugged. "All I know is that they managed to get photos of the actual day, not just the aftermath and it's planned to take up all of page one."

"Wow." Chloe mouthed. "That's really..."

"I know." Jimmy replied. "But who expects something like that in this day and age? It's like the whole story has been pulled out of the seventies."

"Except we can put a face to it." Chloe added.

"Which is totally awesome." Jimmy replied. "Seriously, I can't imagine what actually meeting with him would be like. But it's like after then he's disappeared, that's the big mystery about it. Where does he go?"

Chloe frowned, her mind flooding with concern. If what Jimmy said was true, the story was hitting the stands no matter what she thought about it. And for most people it would be a good thing, a real confidence boost after the devastation wrought in Metropolis three weeks before. But there was one person who could be really hurt by it, and with how fragile he was lately Chloe almost wished she could stop the story coming out at all. "Jimmy, whatever you do don't spread the story around." Chloe urged. "Let people read about it in print, but please, don't tell anyone else, especially not..." she trailed off at a knock on the door, frowning awkwardly as a familiar figure entered.

"Danny." Chloe finished.

"Hey, Chlo'" Danny replied, waving a greeting. "Jennifer at reception said you were back here. I'm... not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No." Chloe replied quickly, looking across at Jimmy. The blonde haired young man was looking... actually he looked completely clueless. "I haven't introduced you two, have I?"

Both Danny and Jimmy shook their heads.

"Right, well..." Chloe said, trying to dispel the sudden awkwardness. "Danny, this is Jimmy Olsen, an old friend and currently one of the Planet's photography team. Jimmy, Danny Fenton. He's Clark's cousin."

"Danny, as in, back from the dead, Danny?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes, well, not back from the dead, he didn't die." Chloe responded, and, really, why did their first meeting have to be so awkward? The first time Jimmy had met Clark hadn't been nearly as awkward as this.

Danny coughed uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, yeah... no, waking up in the hospital that day was close enough for me."

Jimmy hummed. "Right, well... Clark's cousin. You can totally see the family resemblance."

"Everyone says that." Danny said exasperatedly. "Why does everyone say that? We're not related by blood in any way."

"You have to admit," Chloe pointed out. "That you two do look remarkably similar. If I didn't know you or Clark I'd happily say you were brothers."

"Twins even." Jimmy added.

Danny huffed, blowing his hair out of his eyes. "Thanks." The raven-head commented sarcastically. "Well, I actually came around to ask your advice."

"Yeah?" Chloe probed.

Danny bit his lip shyly. "Um, well, you know how Lex is holding this big benefit for the survivors of Dark Thursday..." Chloe nodded.

"You mean the big do where the press has to be on the 'Who's Who' list to even stand a chance of seeing the door?" Jimmy asked.

Danny creased his eyebrows in confusion. "Yeah, that one." He answered before turning his attention back to Chloe. "Aunt Martha RSVP'd for two, and given the fact that Clark doesn't really want to be in the same county as Lex and Lana at the moment..."

"You got rung in as her plus one." Chloe surmised.

Danny nodded in response, scrunching his nose up in distaste. "Pretty much. And I'd be fine, if it was a suit and tie thing... Hecate only knows how many times mom and dad dragged me along to one of their formal 'meetings of the minds'."

"But it's a costume ball, so you're clueless." Chloe guessed.

Danny smiled at her. "Exactly. And I was wondering if I could possibly convince you to come help me pick out a costume."

Chloe hummed.

"Pretty please." Danny begged, his blue eyes big and almost watery. It was such a drastic change from how broken he'd looked – was it just the night before? – that she didn't stand a chance.

"Alright." She answered, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Jimmy, what do you say; want to come help Mr Clueless here pick out a costume?"

Jimmy looked like he was about to refuse, but the look in his blue eyes shifted to determination as he put on a roguish smile. "Why not, we'll pick up a late lunch and then spend the afternoon digging through Costume World. It'll be fun."

Chloe smiled brilliantly at him. She was glad Danny and Jimmy would get on; she'd hate for the two to fight. After all, the last time she'd seen Danny before he went into the Phantom Zone was when she'd kissed him, and with Jimmy around now that was confusing. She wanted to pretend that kissing Danny didn't mean anything to her, that it was just because the world was ending... but in her heart of hearts she knew that wasn't true. And yet at the same time things were so easy with Jimmy around. She wasn't looking for a relationship at the moment, really she wasn't. But she didn't know exactly where things stood with either boy and it was confusing.

Really confusing.

And now she was off to help Danny pick up a costume so he could go to a ball because his cousin didn't want to have to deal with his hurt feelings. And that just added a whole layer of complicated to the confusing.

-/-

Lois frowned, shifting the heavy weight she was carrying from one arm to the other. She didn't know why she was doing this. Well, actually she did. But she didn't have to like it. It was her mistake, and so it was her responsibility to fix it.

Although it didn't hurt that the guy was easy on the eyes.

It had taken her all morning, half the afternoon, a trip to three fresh produce stores – and admittedly raiding the Kent's kitchen for one of Mrs K's apple pies – and a call to Chloe for her to find this address, and as she waited for the lift to take her up to the top floor she couldn't hope but hope that it wasn't an exercise in futility.

The elevator came to a smooth halt, deceptively smooth considering the low rent look of what had to be a service elevator. She paused for a moment as the metal gate opened up. She knew, cognitively, that Queen Tower was one of the most up to date buildings in Metropolis. The exterior had been fully restored, and the inside completely renovated since it had been bought out by Queen Industries. But for some reason she'd been expecting something a lot more... classically themed given the wealth of the person who owned the place. Instead she met a stylish open plan living space, seemingly designed to emphasise the large clock face feature piece on the left wall, and the large balcony space to her right.

But the most noticeable feature in the room wasn't the Metropolis outlook or the classical clock feature wall. No, it was most definitely the piece of shirtless blonde man-candy balancing on a yoga mat in the middle of the room. She'd seen some pretty fit guys in her time, but with the man in front of her it was all she could do to suppress her wow factor. It wouldn't do to come off as some incompetent yokel.

"Miss!" A loud and alarmed voice called, Lois presumed it was the man's personal assistant. "You cannot go in there." Lois refused to move when the pencil skirted lady made to close the lift on her. Lois quickly sidestepped the woman, moving fully into the room and closer to her target.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Queen." The woman apologized. "This woman does not have an appointment."

A single brown eye flickered open, taking her in completely nonchalantly. He seemed completely composed, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly have known…

"It's okay." The blonde haired man commented. "She's expected."

… that she was coming. Damn. Ant there went the element of surprise. Lois pasted a smile on her face, barely managing to restrain a smirk as the pushy lady grunted and retreated further into the loft like apartment.

Lois sauntered across to the man. If he wanted to play it cool, well, she could play with the best. "I guess I really underestimated the mental powers of yoga." She noted idly, having caught the man shirtless on only their second meeting.

"Well, I find the focus benefits my work." The blonde replied smoothly, eyeing her up and down as he stood up. He stretched, toned muscles rippling uncaringly – distractingly – as Oliver turned his attention directly towards her.

"And, apparently, your premonitions." Lois added. _'Smooth, Lois. You have to be smooth.'_ Clearing her mind she handed the hamper in her hands across to the young billionaire. It was probably nothing to him, but her childhood travelling through army bases had taught her that the best way to get a guy's attention was to appeal to his stomach.

Oliver smirked. "After your lamentable blunder, it was either this or a good firing from your boss, right?" His attention flickered down, and she only hoped that it was on the basket and not anywhere else in her direction. "Although, I must say, I didn't picture the fruit basket." Thank goodness. He wasn't checking her out.

Lois took a deep breath, glad that his attention was on the right thing. Now maybe she could get down to business and go about fixing the mistake she'd made in dismissing him when he'd come to the Kent's that morning. She set her shoulders, settling quickly into her role as assistant to Senator Martha Kent. "Yes, Mr. Queen, I surmise that you're very busy with all your bendy stuff, so I'll be really short…"

"Peanuts." Oliver interrupted, plucking a packet out of the basket. "I'm allergic."

"I'll try and remember that." Lois promised, trying not to let him distract her. She couldn't afford to lose this for Mrs K. Oliver continued rummaging through the basket, not even looking at her.

But Lois was nothing if not persistent. "Look, Martha Kent is a sterling Senator, and, um, I would be devastated if..." she trailed off as Oliver waved a green apple in her face. Lois only wondered where she'd gone wrong with apples. "Childhood bobbing trauma?"

"Are you hungry?" Oliver asked, and Lois couldn't help her momentary exasperation. What was with the man? Surely he was capable of focusing for one minute. "No? Okay." And his attention was once more fixed on the fruit basket. Great.

"Look," Lois emitted. "I realize that I was very rude earlier, and I'm just trying to apologize. And if you hold this against Martha Kent, it will be you who is missing out on the opportunity of doing good work with a great woman." Oliver didn't look up once.

Lois sighed, turning away exasperatedly. This was just a waste of time and effort after all. Seemed like billionaire syndrome struck again. As if the world really needed another arrogant, self centred jerk running around and burning away the economy. "Right. Well, I guess I was prematurely accurate in my opinion of you."

Oliver looked up, and for the first time Lois saw something serious in his expression. "Miss Lane?" The man called after her. "If you want my full and undivided attention, why don't you come with me to Lex Luthor's ball?"

Lois scoffed. "While I'm sure downsizing me for an entire evening would make great sport, I think I'll pass."

Oliver met her gaze evenly. "If Martha Kent's as amazing as you say she is, it's gonna take a lot more than a few minutes of grovelling to convince me that she's worthy of my support."

Lois sighed tiredly. She should have known. "I don't have a costume." She demurred.

Oliver frowned, although there was something calculating in his gaze. "You don't have a costume. Hmm." Lois followed his eyes, noticing a rectangular box on the side table beside them. She creased her eyebrows, looking between the man and the box for a moment. Oliver seemed to smirk beside her.

"Right." Lois bit out. "The telepathy."

Oliver's smirk only widened as he slid the box closer to her. "Here you go."

Cautiously Lois lifted, half expecting some prank snakes to jump out at her. What she saw was both a thousand times better, and a thousand times worse. The dress inside was beautiful, gorgeous soft velvet in a rich shade of blue. It had gold embroidered lining and a classic medieval cut to it. She gently lifted it out, noting the tag that slipped down into the tissue paper lining. "Even in my size." Lois murmured, turning her surprised look on the young billionaire. "Mr. Queen, have you been rummaging through my drawers?"

Oliver grinned, somehow making that prince charming smile seem roguish. "I have a good eye for sizing people up." The man replied, and wasn't that just the crux of it. Lois had come here to appeal to Oliver and try to repair her major blunder. Oliver seemed to see something in her, and she wasn't sure what exactly it was, but she couldn't manage to get a solid read on him. Oliver was smug and self assured, practically oozing arrogance, at least superficially. But Lois got the distinct impression that there was something much more beneath the surface. Something special.

Lois honestly had idea how to respond to his comment, and as she left with the box tucked neatly under her arms she couldn't help but wonder exactly what she had agreed to. Pompous rich-kid Oliver Queen may be, but there was something else about him that left her wondering.

-/-

Jimmy yawned as he looked through the clothes rack, covering his mouth with a fisted hand. He could hear Chloe's soft laugh as she pulled things off the rack, and he could admit to himself that it was fun. They'd gone out to lunch in a swanky sort of food hall that Jimmy would never have found in a million years. Danny and Chloe seemed fairly familiar with it, since both quickly located their favourites and managed to find a decent seat. The meal had passed pleasantly enough, talking mostly about nothing because Jimmy had no idea what to talk about with the dark haired kid.

Danny seemed nice, friendly like, if a bit of a klutz. And the way he spoke with Chloe showed just how close they were. Jimmy couldn't quite figure out how Danny saw Chloe, but he could see that Chloe felt something towards the boy. And that hurt, a bit. Especially since he'd found out that Danny was two years his junior.

And wasn't that a shock. Jimmy had been surprised to find out that Danny had just graduated his senior year, a whole year early and after somehow managing to be skipped ahead halfway through the year. Perhaps more surprising was the fact that he didn't have anything lined up; he hadn't applied for any colleges or jobs or anything. Jimmy had always thought that the Einsteins who got skipped ahead were all freakily driven and ended up finishing college way too early. It seemed weird, but it wasn't like he could criticise. He loved photography, but he really had no idea what he was going to do with his life himself.

Danny was funny, mostly. Light-hearted. Jimmy had found himself laughing along to some of his jokes, even despite not knowing the full story behind them. Jimmy's only complaint was how traumatised Chloe had been when Clark had announced that Danny was dead. Of course he couldn't really expect the kid to phone anyone when he was unconscious, but that only raised the question of where the heck had Danny been on Dark Thursday that nobody he knew could find him?

"Hmm, what do you think?" Chloe asked, interrupting Jimmy's musings. "Does this colour bring out my eyes?"

Jimmy looked across at the blonde, who actually wasn't blonde right now. She was wearing a neon purple wig and wearing a fake model's pout. Danny's head poked up from over the next row, laughing teasingly.

"Hmm, maybe." Danny answered mock seriously. "Of course you'd have to offset the purple with a bit of black, maybe a nice emerald green."

"Purple and green Danny?" Chloe deflected, shrugging the wig off.

"For what it's worth, I think you look better blonde." Jimmy put in. Chloe was beautiful just the way she was, she didn't need to change her hair colour to bring her eyes out.

Chloe smiled. "Hmm, maybe you're right."

"How's this?" Danny asked, coming around the corner.

"You're..." Jimmy said, trying to guess and failing completely. "Scarface...?

"I really don't think the godfather look suits you, Danny." Chloe chuckled.

Danny humphed. "It's a classic."

"Classic it may be, but you just haven't got that vibe." Chloe commented. "You could go as Zorro."

"Didn't Clark do that last year when you and he raided Tri Psy?" Danny asked as he took off the suit jacket. "He still complains about that mask."

"And here I was trying to forget that... you could go as Dracula."

"Van Helsing?" Jimmy suggested instead. Somehow it sort of suited the kid; hunting the supernatural.

Danny frowned. "The vampire hunter?"

"Better than Buffy or Spike." Chloe commented.

"Gah, I'd prefer to go as my dad." Danny rejected, rubbing his eyes in disgust.

Chloe laughed. "Yep, bright orange Hazmat suit, you can totally pull that off."

"Your dad seriously wore a bright orange Hazmat suit?" Jimmy asked.

"All the time." Danny replied fondly. "I used to be so embarrassed by it, now... now it's an endearing quirk."

Jimmy sensed the drop in mood hidden behind the words, and couldn't help but want to hit himself for being insensitive. He knew that Danny had lost his family, it was the whole reason he'd lived in Kansas in the first place; so he could live with his maternal Aunt. But it was so easy to get caught up in the light Banter that Danny and Chloe had built up that it was easy to think he'd completely moved on.

"I'm gonna ix-nay the Hazmat." Chloe suggested.

"What about a cloak?" Jimmy suggested, flicking through his current rack. He paused over a whit one, pulling it up and holding it up in the air between him and the boy. "If you took this and a white wig, you'd be a dead ringer for Phantom."

Danny paled, looking at the cloak in something akin to fear. He coughed, briefly, looking to Chloe for help.

Jimmy frowned. "If you really hate the idea that much..." Jimmy trailed awkwardly.

"It's not that." Chloe urged, shaking her head with a smile. "It's just that..."

"Fentonworks was primarily known for ghost hunting." Danny admitted, seeming to regain his confidence. "While I don't mind an ironic statement now and then, the fact of the matter is that the Fenton name has been dragged through the mud for the way mom and dad believed in ghosts for so long. Adding to that, mom and dad were particularly known as some of phantom's first opponents, me _pretending_ to be Phantom is not a good idea."

"I get it." Jimmy grinned, nodding at the kid. And he really did. The fact that Phantom, being a figure publicised primarily as a ghost, was now considered a real person – and Jimmy couldn't help but think of a certain newspaper article – didn't change the long history of scientific rejection of 'ghostly' phenomena. It would really be setting the cat among the pigeons if Danny Fenton went to a costume ball as the prominent ghost figure Phantom. "It's weird to have to think of political repercussions at a costume party. Sorta makes me miss the days of dressing up as Indiana Jones to the Supermarket."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Chloe smiled. And Jimmy grinned at her, glad to have made her smile. He usually wouldn't mention that sort of thing; he had been five at the time, but being around Chloe was somehow different.

"I preferred Warrior Angel myself." Danny confessed.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Chloe commented fondly, ruffling the kid's hair. Danny pouted, shoving her away. Jimmy tried his best to ignore the familiarity.

Danny grinned, pulling something off the rack and chucking it in Jimmy's direction. Jimmy looked down at the fedora in his hands confusedly, but put it on at Chloe's insistence.

"Jeff Bailey, 'Out of the Past'." Danny pronounced with a grin.

"Oh, my God, yes!" Chloe beamed. "Jimmy, next time you wear a costume, you have to go as Jeff Bailey."

Jimmy shuffled awkwardly, taking the hat off and putting it back on the rack. He had no idea what they were thinking; it wasn't like he could pick out clues like the private detective could. Even if he did like the genre.

"How about this." Jimmy suggested, trying to distract the chuckling duo. He pulled out a blue tunic and a red cape. "You could go as King Arthur."

Chloe hummed, looking thoughtfully at the tunic. "Not a bad thought." Chloe agreed. "Although, if we're going with the medieval king theme, I reckon Richard the Lionheart works better. What do you think, Danny?"

Danny offered a small smile. "Not a bad idea." He agreed. "And it comes with a sword."

"And a crown." Chloe added, grinning as she plonked a plastic coronet on Danny's head. Jimmy blinked, looking at the boy. Usually people looked fake when wearing a crown, they just lacked the regal something that monarchs in the history books had. Even as a kid he'd never seriously been able to pull off the arts-and-crafts ones his mom had made for him. But the crown sat perfectly on Danny's head, as though he was somehow meant to wear a crown. It was an absurd notion, but somehow Danny pulled it off.

Jimmy quickly let the thought slip out of his mind and the three of them picked up the costume and went to the checkout. He could admit that he'd had fun, although whether that was due to Chloe or Danny he didn't know. Danny did seem like a nice kid – and he was a kid because, damn it, he was two years younger – and Jimmy could see them maybe getting on in the future. He hoped. For Chloe's sake of course.

But there was something dark that flickered in the younger boy's eyes on occasion; when Danny thought nobody was looking. There was pain hidden in his eyes and something deeper than loss. Jimmy didn't know what to make of it, and didn't know how to bring it up or if he had the right to. But there was something off about Danny Fenton, and a small, curious part of Jimmy wanted to find out exactly what it was.

-/-

Lana bit her lip anxiously as she sat at Chloe's desk at the Daily Planet. She didn't really know why she was here, she shouldn't have come. But Chloe had been her friend forever, and she needed someone to talk to. Even if she hadn't really spoken to anyone other than Lex in the last few weeks. But she needed her friend; she needed Chloe's voice of reason to help her figure out what to do. Because on her own she was drowning, and she didn't know what to do.

She shook her head. This was a bad idea, she'd waited too long and no doubt Chloe was upset at her for ignoring her. Everyone was upset with her nowadays, it seemed. Lana stood up, picking up the small box she'd brought with her and made to leave. She could figure things out on her own. She didn't need any help. It's just that she was so confused, and she had been for so long that Lex asking her directly had sent her into a tailspin.

"Hey." A confused voice said, interrupting Lana from her mental rambling. Lana blinked, looking into the worried eyes of her old blonde friend.

"Hi." Lana emitted, looking down into the box in her arms. "Um, it was such a rush to evacuate the dorms, I guess I took a few of your things..."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, taking the box out of her arms. "Thanks." The blonde commented wryly. "Oh, wow, I was really missing this, uh... half-chewed eraser... and your library book, which is two weeks overdue." Chloe sighed worriedly. "Lana."

"I don't know why, but I felt like I needed an excuse to come and talk with you." Lana finally answered.

"Excuse accepted." Chloe replied, smiling softly. "Come, the copy room isn't exactly the optimal place for a discussion, but it's fairly private."

"It feels like forever since I've been here." Lana sighed as Chloe closed the door behind them.

Chloe smiled. "Yeah, I imagine that a sprawling 17th-century mansion takes a while to get used to."

Lana frowned. "Well, actually, it's getting kind of crowded in there." She shook her head, releasing a sardonic laugh. "Lex seems to think that I'm dragging Clark's ghost around with me."

"And he didn't sign up for a threesome?" Chloe pressed.

Lana nodded tiredly. That wasn't the only problem, but it was one of the main ones. "Chloe, I have this terrible feeling." She said, struggling to find the right words. "I feel like if I do this with Lex, I'm going to lose my identity."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Well, Lana, if you don't trust him now, that dynamic is not gonna change."

Lana sighed. "It's just I keep blaming my trust issues on everyone else. And the truth is, the person that I don't trust is myself. I keep ..." She shook her head, laughing dejectedly. It was so hard to put this into words, to discuss all the confusion she'd been feeling. Her emotions about Lex were all conflicting, and part of the problem was the fact that part of her still wanted Clark. But Clark had taken her heart and shredded it to pieces. And wasn't that just twisted in itself?

But it was relieving to confess to this, to relieve some of the pain that had been bogging her down for so long. "I haven't always made the right decisions. And when I realize that I have made the wrong ones, I'm too far gone to get myself out."

Chloe smiled in sympathetic understanding. "Lana, I don't know if Lex is the right guy for you or not. I mean, he certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but he wouldn't even really be on my list."

There was a moment's pause as Chloe seemed to gather her thoughts. "You can't just sit safely by the water and watch all the happy people splashing around. I mean, eventually, you have to grow some fins and just dive in."

Lana cocked her head, looking at her old friend. Chloe's advice didn't solve all her problems, but it made it easier to process. Maybe it would take time; her trust had been broken too many times for her to risk throwing it all in one go. But if she let herself time, maybe she could learn to trust again. It was a huge risk, and she knew that. But Lex had been there for her for years; he was the one who had helped her open the Talon and he was the one who had helped her recover from a broken heart. If there was anyone who was worth the risk, well maybe, just maybe, it was worth taking the risk on Lex.

-/-

Lex frowned indiscernibly as he gazed through the crowd. He could see already that the benefit itself was going to be a raging success; things with the Luthor name always were. However on a personal level he was thus far finding the evening disappointing. Normally he would never have organised something like this, it was beneath him to organise this sort of charity evening. However it was important to Lana to see something being done, and there was, perhaps, a small part of him that felt guilty for his role in the damage Dark Thursday caused. The benefit had been organised mainly with Lana in mind, designed to be something she could enjoy and escape from her own guilt, if only for an evening.

Now as he stood there alone, wearing a red cape and a roman style breastplate he feared he had pushed too hard and too fast in his pursuit of the gorgeous temptress. And when the night was over he half expected to return home to an empty Mansion. Lana was like a candle flame in the night; beautiful and tantalising, but wont to flicker out at the slightest disturbance. The lead singer of the band opened the evening before diving into their opening song.

Lex smiled wearily, eyes searching the costumed partygoers for someone who would provide engaging conversation for the evening. However it appeared he was rather short of luck. Outside of his usual business circle there were a number of actors and sporting heroes; none of which were likely to be able to engage in interesting conversation. So it looked like he was in for a long and boring evening; after all, as the host he could hardly leave early despite the lack of engaging entertainment.

There was a brief pause in the music and suddenly the crowd parted. Lex froze momentarily at the vision of a goddess which stood before him, taking him completely by surprise. Lana Lang stood confidently in the entranceway, a vision in white robes and a golden Egyptian headdress. She looked like the reincarnation of Cleopatra with her soft bronzed skin and dark eyes. Lex felt something stir in his chest at the idea. Cleopatra to his Julius Caesar; it seemed even when they weren't trying to match they managed to anyway.

He strode through the gap in the crowd, meeting the warm smile in her eyes with one of his own. He wrapped an arm gently around her waist, guiding the beautiful young woman to the middle of the dance floor. "I'm glad you came." He murmured, leaning close to her as the next song began.

Lana smiled up at him, her brown eyes shimmering with new resolve. "So am I."

"I thought I might have frightened you off." Lex commented.

Lana's smile deepened knowingly. "You'll have to come up with better scare tactics." Lana commented, her voice rich with meaning.

Lex hid the smirk that wanted to play on his face. It seemed that in the few short hours since he had last seen her, she had come to a decision. He had pushed her, yes. But it was worth it now to have the beautiful young woman with him here and now. Lana Lang was a remarkable young woman, and she had captured his attention entirely. But with her making this choice the game was half won. And Lex had no intention of letting this beautiful prize escape his grasp.

-/-

Lois smiled awkwardly as she made her way through the crowd beside her green clad companion. Honestly, she should have known that Oliver had planned something like this when he picked out a costume for her. There weren't many medieval 'couples' that she knew well enough to have earned costume status, and she very much doubted Oliver would be happy playing Romeo. So she was walking beside a blonde haired Robin Hood, bow and arrows and tights and all. And she herself was dressed, now quite clearly, as his Maid Marian.

She wasn't sure what to make of the symbolism there.

"Welcome," Tyson Ritter, Lead singer for the All American Rejects introduced "to the First Annual Benefit Ball for the victims of Dark Thursday. On behalf of Lex Luthor, we'd like to thank everybody for reaching into your pockets and supporting the families affected by this disaster. You guys rock." A familiar song picked up, and Lois absently smiled at the introductory chords of 'It Ends Tonight'.

"So, is this part of your sizing me up?" Lois asked, catching her escort's attention once more.

Oliver smiled. "Well, Miss Lane, honestly, that was a miscalculation."

Lois smirked. "Well, that would be my polite comment on your choice of legwear for this evening." Actually, as far as things went she was enjoying herself. She had yet to catch sight of Martha Kent, but otherwise it had been surprisingly pleasant. Especially considering that otherwise she wouldn't have been on the guest list.

"You have a quick tongue. I find that very attractive." Oliver commented, his voice deceptively light given the underlying message.

Lois smiled wryly. Oliver may be a big successful billionaire, but she wasn't that easy. "Well, keep it in your quiver, jolly green bandit." She commented wryly, moving slightly away from him as the crowd eased up. "So, is your fortune the do-it-yourself, steal-from-the-rich kind, or is it silver-plattered like our host's?"

Something dark passed briefly into Oliver's eyes. "It belonged to my parents, and I, uh... I inherited it when they died." Lois inwardly grimaced. She should have recognised that look; Danny wore it whenever he was forced to talk about his family. It was a sad look of longing and Lois had no idea whether to comfort the guy or apologise for bringing it up.

Instead she decided to change topics altogether. "Well, I wasn't going to give it to you, but the tights..." She trailed, looking the man up and down. "You're totally pulling it off."

"You should see him in a tutu." A familiar voice cut in. Lois turned at the sound, immediately recognising Lex and Lana. They were dressed as Julius and Cleopatra; it seemed she wasn't the only one in a couple's costume this evening.

"Lex Luthor..." Oliver replied, his voice chilling slightly. "With a girl that he doesn't have to inflate." Given how light hearted he'd been a moment ago, Lois had to wonder what had brought up his guard so quickly. Then again, it was Lex Luthor they were talking about.

Lex laughed, apparently brushing off the rude comment. "Lana Lang, Oliver Queen. We went to boarding school together."

"Talked to any of the old gang lately?" Oliver asked, but there was something accusatory in his voice that bespoke a long history with the young Luthor. Lois decided not to interrupt. She'd already had her foot in her mouth enough for one day.

"Enjoy the party." Lex commented coolly, gently guiding Lana away.

"I always do." Oliver smirked as they watched them go. Lois took a deep steadying breath, searching the crowd for anyone she recognised. Mercifully there was a small gap in the crowd, large enough for her to see past the White Rabbit to a familiar head of wavy red hair. She eagerly guided Oliver in that direction, glad for the distraction.

"Senator Kent!" She called, catching Mrs K's attention. "Hi, I've been looking all over for you. I would like you to meet Oliver Queen." The elder Kent was dressed in a beautiful red dress, looking like a femme fatale straight out of some sepia toned film noir.

Martha smiled. "Mr. Queen, it's nice to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Oliver replied. "So, Lois has been telling me about your policy points. We should get together and talk about how I can help you."

Martha grinned, and Lois let relief sink through her bones. All of this, tense meeting with Luthor and all, was completely worth it just to hear those words. "I'm looking forward to that. Thank you." Martha said.

"Thank Lois." Oliver commented wryly. "She can be very persuasive."

Lois ducked her head bashfully for a moment, but allowed a grin to cross her face all the same.

"Oh, Mr Queen, have you met my nephew, Danny Fenton?" Martha asked, and Lois blinked as she realised that the dark haired young man who had been talking with Martha was in fact Danny. The boy was wearing a red cloak and a gold crown. Embroidered on his chest were three golden lions and a silver sword hung loosely at his waist. He didn't look anything like the goofy farm-boy she usually saw hanging around the farm, the regal garb seemed to change his stance completely. To the point where Lois almost wouldn't have recognised him.

"We met in passing this morning." Oliver answered.

"Nice to see you out of the long sleeved t-shirt, Casper." Lois teased. The Senator nodded warmly in her direction before retiring from their conversation, her presence demanded by some other party.

"Good to see you too, Lois." Danny nodded in Lois's direction before turning his attention to Oliver. "And it's a _pleasure_ to see you again, Mr Queen."

"Oliver, please. And yes, your tip was right on target." Oliver added, picking up something in Danny's comment that went over her head. Danny grinned.

Lois creased her brow in confusion as she looked in between the two. "What tip?" Lois asked.

"Nothing." Danny said.

"We got talking briefly about the Mercedes this morning." Oliver added.

"Oh, I like you, Mr Queen." Danny grinned, a delighted light dancing in his eye. Lois knew now she was missing some vital part of the conversation since the boys were both dancing around a topic, and more annoyingly, both seemed to enjoy allowing it to elude her.

Oliver hummed, still smiling at the dark haired young man. "Three lions and a red cloak. I would guess that we have King Richard the Lionheart to join the merry men."

Danny smiled back. "Purely coincidence, I promise you. Of course, Lois does make a lovely Maid Marion."

"That she does." Oliver agreed, and Lois nudged him gently with her elbow at the man's teasing. "Now, while I know that the evening is a charity event, but I do feel compelled to ask you if you've considered re-mobilising your parent's business. Queen Industries is always looking for places to invest."

"Most of their patents are related to ghost-tech." Danny pointed out dismissively. "And besides, mom and dad were the inventors; Fentonworks has little to offer except what's already been designed."

Lois laughed. "Who are you kidding, Casper?" She scoffed. "Hidden in that head of yours are all those designs and then some. Don't think I haven't seen you tinkering on that engine out in the barn."

Oliver seemed to raise his eyebrow in interest. "Really?" He pressed, but Danny seemed reluctant to answer, so Lois chose to do it for him.

"Yep." Lois responded. "From what I've seen, the only thing stopping him from starting up again is the lack of access to the right supplies."

"Gah!" Danny mouthed. "Lois, please stop. I've already had Lex on my tail, I really don't want anyone else asking me about starting Fentonworks up again."

Lois nodded unabashedly. She didn't have to talk now, Oliver seemed interested enough and with any luck this would get Danny to stop moping around the house like he had been since he'd graduated Smallville High.

"It wouldn't have to be under the Fentonworks name." Oliver suggested, sounding intrigued. "At the moment one of my newer subsidiaries is looking to hire on new hands in the electronics development area. I could start you up with an internship at Artemis Global Consortium over the summer and see how you get on with the team. It'd be a great pathway for once you've finished school."

"He's already graduated." Lois added in helpfully.

"Honestly?" Oliver paused.

Lois hummed positively. "Danny here was skipped ahead halfway through last year. He managed to top the year at Smallville High despite not being in their classes for half that time."

"How do _you_ know I topped the year?" Danny asked. "_I _didn't know I topped the year."

Lois raised an eyebrow. She had a hacker for a cousin, of course she knew. "The only reason you weren't highlighted was because the school board was worried that the parents would complain about your having missed half the year."

"All the more reason to accept the internship." Oliver added. "If you have a mind that can catch up six months work that quickly, you'd be a brilliant addition to the team at Queen Industries."

"Lois..." The boy complained. "Why? I don't do this sort of thing to you when we're out in public." Danny sighed, looking back at Oliver. "I appreciate the offer, Oliver, really I do. And a few years ago I would have jumped at the chance, but lately... I've had a lot of re-evaluating to do. I'm not sure I'm ready to go into that sort of work, at least not right now."

"I understand." Oliver empathised. "But if you do change your mind, please feel free to give me a call. I'd be happy to see someone like you working with us."

"Thanks, Mr Queen." Danny said with a relieved smile. "I hope you don't mind if I excuse myself now, but I think your date for the evening wouldn't mind if you gave her the next dance."

Oliver nodded graciously, and Danny seemed to happily disappear into the crowd. The blonde haired man beside her smiled, gently taking her hand. "What do you say, my lady. May I have this dance?"

Lois fought down a blush, that smile could steal the world if he wanted it too. She let Oliver guide her through the next dance, and the one after that, and soon enough the band was calling the last song of the evening. It was hard to believe how much fun she'd been having, it was almost a shame for the evening to end so soon. Martha Kent seemed to have left some time ago, as had Danny. The few people remaining were couples, making the most of the last song before the band stopped for the evening.

She smiled as Oliver led her down to his car, sliding in easily into the passenger's seat as he opened the door for her. The wind blew gently on her face through the open window as they drove back to Smallville. Their conversation was pleasant, and the silences were completely comfortable. Lois had an easy smile on her face the whole trip home, Oliver's eyes meeting her warmly as he drove her back home. Lois could very easily see herself falling for him, for Oliver.

She was laughing happily as the car pulled up, Oliver grinning right beside her. He courteously took her arm as he led her back to her apartment at the Talon. "I have enjoyed courting you against your will this evening." The man smiled as she opened the door.

Lois smirked back. "Only because I let you."

"I'd like to kiss you now." Oliver mused, his brown eyes shimmering in the evening light.

"Um, you know, the lady requires a show of skill before awarding you with her favour." Lois teased. Not that she would take all that much convincing.

Oliver seemed only slightly ruffled. "Which is actually where I was going with the kiss."

Lois grinned, looking at the brown eyed man. "Let's make it interesting." She proposed, looking at the bow Oliver had worn all evening. She pointed lightly, gesturing to a soda can sitting on top of the dumpster behind the Talon. "Hit that can with your arrow... and I'm yours."

"You're that easy, huh?" Oliver chuckled.

"It's that hard." Lois challenged.

Oliver frowned, considering the distance between them and his target. "I'm gonna go for it."

"All right." Lois smiled.

Oliver knocked an arrow, easily drawing the bow back and holding it. He looked the part, green clad like a real life Robin Hood. He held the arrow, bowstring drawn taught as he looked at her. "Here goes nothing."

For a moment Lois wondered what would happen if the arrow hit true. She'd take him inside, she'd kiss him, and let him kiss her back. She'd carefully peel back that green tunic, and stare at the muscled chest she knew lay beneath. And she'd fall for him, too hard and too fast and she'd wonder, when they woke up in the morning just how long it could last.

Oliver shifted his aim ever so slightly and released, the arrow flying straight across the alley. It whirred through the air, burying itself with a soft thud into the wall behind the dumpster. It had to have been close; the feathers hung not even an inch over the unmoved soda can.

"Better luck next time, hood." She teased. And maybe it was a little wistful. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, shaking his head slightly as she shut the door.

But as she removed the veil she leaned tiredly against the wall. And she wondered if, just this once, she could let herself have this. One breathless moment with a man like Oliver Queen. One shining minute where the arrow landed true.

-/-

"This is definitely a night of firsts." Lex smiled down at Lana as the two walked through the corridors of the Mansion. Lana smiled happily back, not caring at all that her mascara must have run and her hair was dripping wet.

"How's that?" she asked, gazing into his sparkling blue eyes.

Lex laughed. "Well, it's the first time I've ever danced in my extremely pretentious fountain." Lana grinned, laughing with him. "And it's the first time I've ever felt this... satisfied." He continued.

"I was half-expecting the word 'happy' to come out of your mouth." Lana remarked.

Lex smiled at her, his eyes warm and full of promise. "Happiness is just a feeling of euphoria." He answered. "It's your brain chemistry going into overdrive. That's why so many relationships fail when the honeymoon ends and reality sets in."

Lana couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, have you always been such a romantic?"

Lex grinned, chuckling once more. "If you were any other woman, I'd be saying everything you expect to hear right now, but you're not, okay?" He paused, meeting her gaze honestly. "You not like anyone else."

Lana couldn't help but grin in pure delight. "Well, careful, because I am dangerously close to being satisfied."

Lex chuckled lightly, offering her a contented smirk. "Then my evil plan is working." He led her into a parlour, the windows opening out into the starry night sky. They sat, knee to knee on one of the sofas and Lana relaxed completely, resting her head on his chest comfortably.

They relaxed for a while, taking quiet pleasure in the quiet as the stars glimmered outside. "So, what made you change your mind about gracing my arm tonight?" The man eventually asked, his voice soft and with the barest hint of hesitation.

Lana looked up, staring into his eyes. "Life..." She replied honestly. "Wanting to live it."

And she took a chance, the biggest risk she could take in that instant as she pressed her lips to his. Lex hesitated, pulling back and looking into her eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked, looking half confusedly at her.

"Living." Lana answered, pressing her lips once more to his. And this time he responded, parting his lips and kissing back. Lana grinned against him, enjoying the warmth as Lex wrapped strong arms around her. Maybe it wouldn't work out. Maybe this would only lead to hardship and heartbreak. But for right now, Lex was exactly what she wanted.

And in that moment, that one moment under the stars with Lex's warm arms embracing her, Lana Lang knew exactly who she wanted to be.

-/-

Chloe sighed tiredly as she held up the morning edition. There it was, just as Jimmy had promised. The story took up all of page one and was continued on three, four and five. She didn't know what to do as she gazed down at the stark black print, just knowing the trouble this article would cause.

Oh she knew all too well that it was exactly what Metropolis needed right now. And Jimmy had been right when he pointed out the parallels to the mysterious underground group who had protected the streets during the seventies. The people of Metropolis and the surrounding counties needed to feel safe in order to fully recover from Dark Thursday. The article was a carefully contrived encouragement piece, clearly written to make its readers feel both safe and empowered in order to stabilise the population and dispel the uncertainty left in the aftermath of so much destruction. But her concern wasn't for Metropolis at the moment, it was for her friend.

Danny wasn't ready for this, she knew that. He was still struggling with being human again; the last thing he needed was a blaring reminder of exactly what he had lost. But it was too late, and she could only hope to be able to support him as his friend when he found out about it.

Chloe groaned, dropping the paper on her desk and burying her head in her folded arms. She didn't want to deal with this right now. She didn't know how to.

But it didn't change what was on the front page, nor the half page picture that accompanied the article.

'_**THE PHANTOM ANGEL; Metropolis Celebrates the Untold Hero of Dark Thursday'**_

* * *

AN: Sorry for being late so early in the game, my computer decided to die on me which made it hard to write... or to proof... or do anything really. Now it's fixed, but missing it really put me behind. And in addition this chapter was like pulling teeth, but I needed to introduce Ollie...

For the people who know Smallville, Jimmy in the series had a sort of rivalry going with Clark because a part of Chloe was crushing on him, and Clark left too much unexplained. Obviously that dynamic won't be quite the same because Danny's here. Jimmy is known to be perceptive, but drastically off the mark in his conclusions, so I'm curious to see myself to find out what he makes of Danny.

I know this wasn't the most action-y chapter, I needed to establish the relationships. On the plus side, the action that I originally planned for this chapter should be next chapter... which hopefully I will have better luck writing.

Now I do wonder if anyone can figure out the significance of Danny's costume... it's symbolic in more than one way.

Love you all,

Bluerose

P.S. I have Fanart! A particular thanks goes out to Ect0Gh0st who drew up a beautiful rendition of Danny's Richard the Lionheart costume for the Dark Thursday benefit. You can find it at tmblr. co/ ZewIZv10aWwoL (removing the spaces) or in the alternative there's a link from my user profile.


End file.
